Unfaithful
by tari-001
Summary: After Paine escapes from prison, Shark learns something shocking about his family past. Set after season 1 and before season 2. Contains Sharkness Shark x Lioness
1. The Shocking Truth

**Okay. This has been - and probably will continue to be, a rather awkward experience. ****Some of you guys may or may not remember me. I have certainly published this story before, but for this reasons and that, it got deleted. This was, for the bigger part, my fault, but I guess it shouldn't be deleted when exactly 9 chapters into the story already - and nearly the end.**

**Anyway, my potential readers ( :) ), here is my request. To be honest, I have never written in story mode before. Most of my writings could be considered as in script mode. Which means, I do have a tendency to write in dialogues. I'm trying to improve this. But if you find any mistakes anywhere, please _DO _warn me, because I don't think I will be able to bear another story deletion. My previous awesome reviewers, of course, don't have to post reviews again, but constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

**And a few notes on the story:**

**- Well, this is majorly about Shark. So please don't bite my head off in later chapters. Also, he will go under some changes in the course of the story. Just so you will not be surprised - too much, at least.**

**- I have this idea from a pal in another site, so it is only partly my idea. Although, I can guarantee that the plot is developed by moi :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own A.T.O.M., it belongs to Sip Animations & Jetix. **

**--**

The morning.

The team all sit on the table in front of the kitchen counter, having breakfasts, drinking coffee. King enters, having taken the newspaper, and now reading it. 'Morning guys!' he murmurs. 'Morning!' they reply in unison.

Lioness smiles. 'Up early again?'

King nods seriously as he takes a sip from his coffee. 'Yeah, I had to do some stuff on the computer, and...'

Suddenly, choking noises get the attention of the other three, too, as Lioness springs to her feet to get some water for King, who is now coughing hardly on his coffee.

'Dude, you okay?' Shark asks. King wipes his mouth on his arm and shakes his head no, giving the newspaper to Lioness, who begins reading immediately.

It is reported that a breakout occurred at the local prison. Two criminals, who are amongst the most notorious criminals, managed to get run away. It is reported that those criminals are... Lioness lowers the newspaper, a look of purest shock etched on her face. 'Alexander and Samantha Paine, father and daughter...'

She slowly brings her hand over her mouth, as the news begin to down on the others, who look terrified.

'You gotta be kiddin me!' Hawk exclaims, his voice exasperated and angry.

'How is it even possible I thought it was one of the most securable prisons in the area!' says Axel, equally as pissed off as Hawk.

King seems both thoughtful and disturbed. 'Actually... There was a disturbance in the system this morning, I just couldn t place it... Now I see...'

There is a silence for a long time. Then Axel gets up and opens the tv. The news reports are the same, showing Paine and Magnus s photos over and over. Axel feels a numbness going over his whole body, a numbness, he knows, that has nothing to do with the chilling of the morning sun.

'He s on the run... He ll probably look for new headquarters...'

The others look at him.

'What do you suggest we should do?' Lioness asks.

Still staring as if transfixed to the screen, a bit automatically, he mumbles. 'Team... gear it up.'

Respectfully, they all get up to change. At that moment, the ringing of the phone startles them out of their thoughts. Shark is the first one to get over there.

'Hello... mom??'

Shark frowns slightly as he listens on to his mother.

'Come over...? Well...'

He looks around his friends who are about to go on the chase, unsure. They all nod their heads, so he turns to the phone again. 'Okay mom, I ll be around in half an our. Yeah, see you.'

He closes the phone with a bit of a troubled expression. 'Dudes, give me a call if you need me. She sounded really unhappy and troubled.'

'Don t worry about us, we ll be okay.' Lioness assures him.

'Yeah you just go on.' Axel adds.

Shark smiles at them as he disappears into his room. 'Thanks, guys.'

--

45 minutes or so later. The kitchen of a little, tidy country house.

Shark and his mother sitting at the small table, facing each other. A nearly empty plate with a mostly eaten pancake and a mug of hot tea stands in front of him, while she continuously brings something.

'No, mom, really, I don t want another pile of pancakes, they were delicious, I m just full...'

'Oh come on dear, one more serve won t kill you.'

She rushes here and there, preparing another plate. Shark watches her with weary eyes, somehow getting the impression that she is not too keen on telling him the thing she had called him here for.

'Mom...'

'Yes dear?'

'You wanted to talk to me about something.'

His mother freezes for a second, and Shark realizes he was right. It is not until Helen puts down the plate, again full of pancakes, in front of him and gets a glass of water for herself that she speaks.

'Yes Ollie, I wanted.'

Shark just waits her to continue. She looks him in the eye.

'I heard about the breakout this morning.'

He nods.

'And your friends are going after him again?' she asks.

Shark raises his eyebrows.

'Mom we are going after him. We are kinda... a team, y know.'

Helen closes her eyes, as if anticipated this before, takes a deep breath, and opens them again.

'I don t want you to be a part of it anymore.'

This isn t what he was waiting for. Certainly isn t. He looks at her, shocked beyond belief, trying to realize whether this is true or not. His mother gets to her feet yet again, this time disappearing into the living room. Shark follows her with his gaze, curious. A moment later, she comes back in, with a crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

'I never talked to you much about your father. I think now is the time.'

She gives him the paper. He takes it, realizing it is a letter. He begins to read.

His eyes widen as he sees the signature at the end of the paper...

Alexander Paine

He looks up at his mom, incredulous. She, on her side, has tears up in her eyes.

'I don t want you to go after your father.'


	2. Events That Lead

**Okay. I _officially_ suck at story modes. :S Second part of this story, and I still have trouble changing it from script mode to story mode. So guess what, guys? To anyone who reads this story, I still beg you to warn me if there is anything wrong! You can also flame, I like flames as long as they are constructive, not destructive :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this awesome show, it belongs to Jetix and Sip animations (I... believe?) I do own its plot, though.**

--

Shark feels like the world is shrinking in on him, unabling him to do anything, say anything, or even breathe. Everything seems to him so unreal now. His mind out on somewhere else, he mutters.

'What?...'

Before he knows it, he is on his feet, trying to find, grasp something real in this surreal world.

'Ollie...'

'Mom, you gotta be kidding me! We ve been on his heel for a year, and suddenly you say he s my...'

He doesn t even say the word, maybe feeling that not saying it would make it unreal. Then he remembers something else.

'Then Magnus is...'

'Who?'

'His daughter?'

His mother shakes her head. 'She is your half sister. When I met Alexander, she was two years old.'

'Great! I mean we don t even resemble each other!'

He runs to the entrance to look at the mirror, still not wanting to believe one word of it, trying to justify his reasoning. He hears footsteps behind him and looks from the mirror to see his mom, quietly looking at him with tears still in her eyes.

'But even with that... (he hesitates for a moment, then turns to face his mother) This is all the more reason I want to catch him.'

Helen s reaction is immediate, and just as Shark has expected.

'Ollie, no! He s dangerous! I don t want you to get hurt!'

'I can t just sit around safely while my friends go and risk their lives! And last year we were all in this together, you didn t say anything!'

'I wanted to! But you were out of my reach long before I could stop you! I m not going to let this happen another time! Please...'

Her voice falters away as she reaches a hand to touch Shark s cheek, tears pouring down from her eyes. 'I don t want you to... I won t be able to bear it if something happens to you...'

This is what affects Shark the most, and for a moment, he doesn t know what to say. 'Mom...'

They hug each other. Then he reluctantly withdraws. 'I better go I should tell this to the others...'

She nods, mopping her eyes on her sleeve. With a last glance at her, Shark gets out of the house...

--

He feels like he s marked. Marked for eternity.

The bitter truth keeps nagging on and on his mind. He knows he s doomed to live with it forever. Even since he was very little, he always asked lots of questions about his father. Now he wished his mom had never told him...

Within a moment s distraction, he doesn t even realize he passed on the red light. He comes head to head with a large car.

'Hey, be careful!'

'I... I m sorry, dude.'

He takes off again, trying to be more careful this time, but mind still not there.

'Shark!'

He stops at another red and looks at his alphacom.

'Garrett... What s up?'

'Oh, I m fine. I just tuned in to tell you the team is heading back to Aquatics they couldn t find Paine, and somehow the disturbance from this morning affected their communicators.'

'Oh. Okay.'

He had said it in a somewhat unhappy voice which is impossible for Garrett not to catch.

'You okay?'

'Yeah, uh... Sure.'

Garrett lifts his eyebrows. 'Did you even hear me? What did I say?'

'Yeah uh, you said something about the guys, and...'

'Shark, really, what happened?'

Shark sighs, not knowing how to say it, and now come to think about it, he doesn t even want to say it.

'I will tell you later.'

Garrett blinks. 'Oh. Yeah... Sure, whenever you feel like it.'

'Yeah. See ya later.'

'Okay, see you.'

--

Aquatics.

Shark and the rest of the team arrive exactly at the same time in front of the doors.

'Hey Shark! What s the ditch?' Hawk asks.

Shark stares at him for a moment. 'Huh?'

'Everything went okay with your mom? You said she sounded troubled.' Lioness puts in, a little concerned.

'Oh... Yeah, yeah she s alright. Look, I ll be in my room. See you later.'

Before anyone can say anything, he disappears into the house. Axel frowns after him. 'Don t you think he acted... a bit weird?'

'Y know, we can ask his mother what s going on if he doesn t want to talk.' King suggests.

They look at each other...

--

A few minutes later. In the living room.

The four are gathered in front of the phone, Axel dialing the number. After a few rings, it is finally opened. 'Hello?'

'Hello. Am I speaking with Mrs. Sharker?'

'That s me. And you are...?'

'Mrs. Sharker, I m Axel Manning, your son s friend.'

'Oh, hello, Axel dear, how are you doing?'

'I m fine, thank you. Actually, I, uh... I called you for Shark.'

A moment passes through silence. Then Shark s mom talks again. 'Did he talk to you?'

'No and that s the problem. He s acting a bit weird ever since he came back, and we thought we might ask you if...'

He doesn t continue, because he s not sure how to do so. His mother doesn t reply for a moment.

'I... don t know if I should be the one who tells you this. But I think it would be better off like this.'

She draws a deep breath. 'I wanted him not to continue in the chase against Alexander Paine.'

A long silence follows this. The team looks all shocked, even more wondering what might have caused this.

'Umm, Mrs. Sharker... If this is not private, I mean... why shouldn t he?' demands Lioness.

'There isn t a problem with him or something, right?' King asks hastily.

'No, no, he s fine. At least physically, I guess.'

'What do you mean?' This comes from Hawk.

'Today... I finally told him about his father.'

They all glance at each other, a bit uncomfortably, now come to think about it, they had never asked Shark about it, nor did he tell them anything.

When Mrs. Sharker speaks again, there is a firmness in her voice.

'And I don t want him to go after his father.'

'WHAT?!'

--

'Shark, are you... Oh my God...'

'Yeah, tell it to me.'

Shark is lying on his bed, flat on his back, talking to Garrett on the phone.

'But that s serious! I mean... will you still be able to go after him?'

Shark jumps up on his feet, and starts pacing back and forth around the room.

'Dude, this is not about it! I mean, I m even more willing to catch him now, but...'

'Your mother doesn t want.'

'Exactly. (after a pause) I don t know what to do.'

'Are you gonna tell this to the team?'

'I don t know. I mean I don t expect them to have bias about it, of course, but...'

He stops abruptly. 'I have an idea.'

'What? What idea?'

'I...'

At that time, someone knocks on the door.

'...will tell you later. Bye.'

He quickly ends the call as Lioness calls from outside. 'Shark can I come in?'

'Oh... yes, sure.'

The door opens. Shark s first impression on Lioness now is that she looks a bit serious for some reason, but also, worried.

'You okay? Sit down!'

Lioness smiles as she taunts slightly. 'Where?'

Shark looks around and suddenly realizes that the room is very, very untidy. He pushes around some of the clothes on a chair and Lioness sits down.

'So... um... what happened?' he asks.

She looks up at him. 'Shark, we know it.'

Shark blinks, and for one moment, he doesn t understand. 'What?'

'Look, you don t have to pretend around us. We know that Paine is your father.'

He freezes. 'H... how?'

'Does it matter how? Or does it matter at all?'

He doesn t say anything. And she doesn t like it.

'Shark, do you really think it matters to us? So Paine s your father? Big deal!'

Shark looks at her, and then quickly drops his head as he begins speaking.

'And do you really think it doesn t matter to me? Li, we are talking about the man who tried to kill Axel and us more than we can remember!'

'So what? We know who you are Shark we know it very well.'

'You know me before I learned about the truth.'

'And will you change?'

They look at each other for a very brief moment before he answers.

'No. Whatever happens I won t change. You can count on that.'

Lioness smiles her satisfaction. 'I already do. It was only necessary for you to believe it.'

They just smile at each other. Then she rises from her chair.

'The others are waiting in the living room, so, you know, we will be happy if you come out soon.'

'Okay.'

Just as she touches the doorknob, his voice makes her stop. 'Li, wait!'

She turns to him, curious.

'Thank you.'

She smiles warmly once again.

'Any time. We re all best friends here, remember?'

Before he knows what he is doing, the words come out of Shark s lips.

'I... I think I like you more than just a friend.'

Time freezes. Time literally freezes as Shark slowly realizes what he had said, and sees that Lioness is still at the door, stands, as if glued to the floor, and gazes at him, a kind of mild incredulity in her eyes. He suddenly feels very uneasy.

'I... no... forget it.'

Lioness doesn t look any better than him.

'We are waiting for you.'

And without another word, she quickly gets out and closes the door behind her. Shark waits a good five minutes before turning on his alphacom.

'What happened?' Garrett asks as soon as they are connected.

He sounds upset as he replies.

'I made up my mind.'

'On what?...'


	3. Hard Times

**Here is the third part of the story :) Prepare yourself to get surprised at the very least, please, then you wouldn´t tell me I didn´t warn you ;) And for anyone who would like to review, please sign in first. Because otherwise, I have to review my own story to reply to you, and I don´t quite like it. Thank you =)**

**Disclaimer: I don´t own A.T.O.M., it belongs to Sip animation & Jetix.**

--

The next day. In front of Lee Industries.

Shark s motorcycle screeches to a stop. Shark gets off, takes his helmet, places it on the motor and walks in.

--

Garrett is facing Shark in a room, a slight frown on his face.

´I don´t know Shark, I don´t like it!`

´Let me know when you have a better idea.`

´You can help the others...`

Shark raises an eyebrow.

´You forget the mother factor, dude.`

Garrett sighs, not knowing what to say.

´But as I said yesterday, I will need your help.`

´I will, but... you are just acting careless.`

´I´m the most laidback of the group, remember?`

´Being laidback is one thing, but this is...`

Garrett shakes his head, unbelievable. They don´t say anything for a moment. Then Garrett looks up back at him.

´Look - I don´t know what happened with Li, but... If this has anything to do with it...`

He stiffens.

´I don´t know what you re talking about.`

´Shark - really - don´t use her as an excuse to get yourself killed!`

(Some phrase from my favorite character in Bleach.)

Shark has lost his patience.

´Dude, don´t psyche me! You said yourself you don´t know what happened! This has nothing to do with her!`

Garrett looks a bit taken aback.

´O - kay, if you say so. You´re really getting used to it, by the way.`

´What?`

´"Don´t psyche me"? What kind of talk is that?`

Shark opens his mouth to say something, then swallows it. He sighs. ´Garrett - you think too much. I will be okay.`

´Hope so.`

Shark half smiles at the young genius as he turns and strides out of the chamber. Garrett watches him with some kind of anxiety.

--

In the Acquatics.

The team are all in the sitting room as Shark comes in.

´Hey - where have you been?` Hawk asks.

´Just doing stuff.` he responds.

Lioness chances a hasty glance at the surfer as the latter goes into his room. Then she gets up and follows him.

´Shark, can I...`

Shark stops just for a moment at the door, his back to her.

´Li, I´m sorry, later.`

Without another word, he closes the door behind him. Lioness looks hurt.

´What´s the deal with you guys?` demands Axel.

Lioness looks at the ground.

´It´s nothing.`

She looks back up at the closed door, her eyes a bit teary.

´Nothing at all.`

--

A small, dark and shadowy place which looks like it is underground.

A tall, black and red haired girl walks in, one hand on her hip, and kind of a bored expression on her face.

´I am bored.`

She sighs and closes her eyes.

´This place is no fun at all.`

´Quit complaining, Samantha.`

Paine walks out from the shadows, with a big gun on his back, and a very nasty expression on his face. ´We´re going out of here in a moment.`

Magnus smirks.

´I thought you would have a plan.`

--

In the Acquatics.

An alarm beeps on King s computer. The four quickly gather in front of it.

´Paine! I didn´t think he would show himself this quickly.` King exclaims.

´Naturally,` mutters Axel, hatred can be clearly heard in his voice. ´He does what he loves to do. Team, gear it up!`

They are on their way to their rooms when Shark´s door finally opens. They stop dead on their places.

´Shark...` says Lioness in a low voice.

The surfer has kind of an indifferent expression on his face as he rubs his neck. ´It s okay. I heard it.`

Axel looks a bit uncomfortable as he speaks. ´Look - Shark - if you don t want to come, we ll understand...`

´Dude, you don´t have to act like I´m sick or something. It´s okay. You guys go ahead. I´ll catch up with you later.`

They say nothing more as they go to their rooms to get prepared.

--

A few minutes later. In a street a few blocks up from a government building.

The team - except for Shark - is in the Slamma, with Axel as the driver. Suddenly, the car begins to spin as he starts losing control.

´Huh - what´s happening?` exclaims Hawk, panicking.

At last, they come to a stop by hitting an electric post. Axel hisses in furiosity as he gets out of the car. ´Magnus! She must be preventing the cops from coming here!`

They begin to run towards the building.

´Or both them - and us!` says Lioness.

King looks at Axel. ´Do you think Shark will show up?`

Axel looks at him for a brief second, but his face falls a little when he turns to face the front again...

--

In the government building.

The guards and a couple of the workers lie face down, out cold. Paine stands on top of yet another.

´Now, we can settle this peacefully... But why bother?`

His smirk even widens as he lowers his gun to the terrified man´s face...

Lioness comes flying to him, sending a high kick to his chest. Paine staggers backward, hissing, as Lioness takes back her place between her teammates.

´Not so fast, Paine.` hisses Axel.

They stand glaring at each other...

--

The back streets.

Shark stops his motorcycle, takes his helmet off and looks at the building, his expression hard to read...

--

The magnetic field is still too strong for Axel to use his jo - lan. Paine kicks him and he flies into the wall. Lioness stands up in front of him.

´See how you like this!`

They begin fighting...

By that time, Hawk and King are checking on the people. Some of them seem to be hurt badly. King hastily glances up at Hawk, who is checking on another guy.

´Hawk - call the hospital - this looks serious!`

Hawk nods curtly and gets out his cell phone.

Lioness has managed to knock Paine´s gun out of his hand, but a powerful kick sends her, too, flying to the wall, right next to Axel.

She looks up at Paine, who is rubbing his wrist. Her eyes widen as Paine goes for the gun again.

But someone else grabs it before he can.

Lioness looks a bit surprised, but relieved as well. She smiles. ´Shark!`

Shark straightens up, gun in hand, eyes closed, not saying anything.

What happens next, however, is not what they had expected.

´Don´t move an inch.`

All of them; Axel, who is coming to, Lioness, who looks shocked and hurt despite herself, King, who is still treating to the injured guy, and Hawk, who still hasn´t ended up his call; gape at Shark.

´Hello? Excuse me? Where is your location? Hello??` comes a voice from the cell phone.

Shark just looks back at them steadily, his ocean blue eyes hard and glaring as he holds the gun not to the man who ruined their life, but to his own friends...


	4. Betrayal

**4th chapter :) Guys, if you want to review, please sign in first, so I can know who I am going to reply to. I'm not closing it yet, though. It's just a request.**

**--**

Time literally freezes as everyone stares at Shark, unbelievable. He hasn't even blinked. The lady on the phone tries once again, this time kinda desperate.

'Hello? Mister? Are you okay? Answer me!'

Shark rolls his eyes as he turns to Hawk, gun pointing now at him. 'Are you gonna answer or what?'

Snapping out of his shock, Hawk turns to the phone to give the information. At that time, Paine hisses at Shark. 'What are you playing at, boy?'

Shark half turns to him, but careful enough not to drop his guard down.

'You remember Helen Sharker?'

By the way in which his eyes widen, Shark understands he does. He keeps on.

'I am her son. (after a moment) Actually... yours, too.'

There is a moment of silence as Paine tries to digest the news, father and son looking at each other, not moving. Then a tiny voice behind him catches Shark's attention.

'Shark what are you doing?...'

Shark turns to see Lioness straightening herself by the wall, looking at him with a kind of plea in her eyes...

BUMMM!!

Lioness flinches as the bullet barely missed her and hit the wall. She looks at Shark with largened and tear striked eyes. He, however, hasn't changed his expression.

'Didn't I tell you not to move an inch?'

A single tear drop makes its way to Lioness's cheek. Even her voice falters as she whispers. 'Shark...'

Paine looks impressed, despite himself. Axel and King, however, look utterly enraged.

'Man what do you think you are doing??' King demands furiously.

Shark raises his eyebrows. 'Choosing a side.'

Axel couldn't believe what he's hearing. His eyes shake as he looks up at his so called friend, his expression a mixture of furiosity, bewilderment, and denial.

'We believed you! We never thought it would matter... How could you??'

'Well I never asked for you to believe me, did I?'

Axel yells as he gets up quickly, rushing towards Shark. He raises the gun, but Axel kicks it away. They stand facing each other, assuming fighting positions, brunette against blond.

'You are never never gonna get away with this!'

'Oh come on. I thought at least you would understand.'

This makes Axel hesitate. 'What?'

'You know what it means to grow up without a father. I know this from the very beginning!'

Axel has practically nothing to say at this, as he understands exactly what Shark means.

-Flashback-

Little Axel, seven or eight at the most, sitting at a front desk in school, as a female teacher strides up and down in front of the students.

'So... we're beginning today with professions. Now I want all of you to tell me what your father's profession is.'

Axel bows his head, not knowing how to say what had happened to his father. His eyes begin to shake and he feels tears unconsciously filling into his eyes...

-Flashback-

-Flashback-

'Mom, I don't wanna go!'

'Oh come on dear, school won't kill you, now, will it?'

Little Shark, the same age with previous Axel, folds his arms, a fierce look on his face. His mom sighs and kneels in front of him, so now they're at eye level.

'Ollie, is there a problem?'

He crumples his lips.

'No.'

'You sure, honey?'

'Yes...'

His voice kinda trails away. Helen holds his son's chin and turns his head to face her.

'You wanna tell mom what happened?'

'Mom, why would you never talk about my dad?'

Helen freezes, turns her head to the ground, sighs, and looks back up at him.

'Ollie, we went over this.'

'Everyone in my class can talk about everything about their fathers. Only I can't say anything. And then the other kids start mocking me...'

She sees the sadness and longing in his eyes. Her eyes soften as she caresses his cheek.

'I will tell you about him when you are old and mature enough, okay?'

'Mom, you always say this!'

'And I'll talk to your teacher about this. (chuckling) Come on, we're late already!'

-Flashback-

'Jo lan C'hou batsou!'

With his fury, even with the magnetic field, Axel uses all he has as he charges on Shark. But...

'You forget.'

Axel looks up at him, his teeth gritted. Shark had simply moved aside seconds before the jo lan should have contacted him (a move Tilian did in the second episode of second season, but he's not holding Axel's hands right now).

'You are predictable. But I wouldn't have gone easy on you.' Shark points out and punches Axel across the face. Axel staggers a bit back, but oddly he is smirking.

'Is this the best you got? Because I'm not gonna miss the next time.' he hisses.

Shark dives, rolls on the ground, gets the gun, and gets up again. 'I don't have that intention, either.' he replies right back.

'You know, if my father was a criminal, I still wouldn't choose him over my friends just because I miss him.'

'Then you are weak!'

'Wrong! Friends are never - weakness!'

'That's why you dumped us to go solo on my father and Spydah a month ago!'

Axel growls angrily as the usual swirly shape of jo lan begins to form between his hands. Shark's finger begins to come closer to the trigger...

But before any of them could do anything more, a bunch of things happen at once. King and Hawk launches themselves on Shark, Hawk forcing the gun out of his hand. Lioness steps in front of Axel, causing him to stop his energy flow.

'Now you'll see how weak your friends are!' King hisses.

'You jerk!' Hawk spits out his anger.

Axel looks at Lioness, gritting his teeth.

'Li, step aside.'

Lioness shakes her head. 'I can't.'

'Step aside!'

'No! We caught him, we can catch Paine another day! Please...'

Axel looks at Shark, who glares back at him. He sighs. 'O - ...'

'Time to step in!'

Out of nowhere, Paine suddenly grabs King by his head and forces him away from his son. After that, Shark easily throws off Hawk and gets the gun back. Axel and Lioness stop motionless, not able to do anything, as King screams in agony under Paine's touch and Hawk is being held hostage by Shark.

'Now don't you dare move, if you don't want these two to get killed.' Paine says, smirking.

Axel squeezes his fists, Lioness looks helpless as they stare at the scene in front of them.

At that time, police sirens begin to be heard from outside. Everyone looks up at the sudden breaking of the silence. Magnus comes from a door near them and stands behind Paine.

'Daddy, we better go, it's getting really... What's he doing??'

She looks up at Shark, her eyes huge. He just glowers back at her without a word.

'All in good time, Samantha. Call the men. He s coming with us.'

'What??'

'Call the men!'

Magnus gets her cell phone out, still gaping at Shark. Lioness sighs, knowing that she is playing a hopeless game, tries her luck. 'Shark listen to me.'

He looks at her with an indifferent expression.

'I still don't understand why you're doing this. But it's still not late.'

Axel growls. 'Speak for yourself.'

Lioness gives him a warning look, then turns back to the blond again.

'Please, just give up. This is not you.'

The surfer just raises his eyebrows. 'Well meet the new me.'

Lioness looks taken aback. Axel puts his arm forward and stops Lioness as he steps in.

'What we mean to say is, if you leave now, there is no returning back!'

'My thoughts exactly!'

Axel squints. By the time, quick footsteps and the sound of police radio can be heard quite clearly, moving closer.

'We are going out of here!' Paine speaks to Magnus and Shark.

He drops King to the ground, him still writhing in pain. Shark pulls the gun away from Hawk's head and pushes him hard to the others. Paine, Magnus and he begin running to the roof.

Axel, checking on King to see if everything is okay, looks after them with a fierce look on his face.

'I'm going after them.'

Lioness looks up at him. 'Axel wait!'

He turns and glares at her.

'For what? For them to come and find us again? Sorry, Li.'

His fists shake from the anger. Lioness doesn't know what to say more as he, too, rushes up to the roof...

--

A huge helicopter has landed on top of the roof, the blades sending huge walves of wind to the air. Paine gets in first. Magnus looks at Shark, her hands on her hips.

'I don't trust you.'

'More than I can trust you, I guess sis.'

Magnus's eyes widen at the last word. But before they can do anything...

'Shark!!'

Both of them turn to the point as Axel comes rushing. Shark pushes Magnus towards the still open door of the helicopter.

'Fly it, I'll catch up!'

The helicopter take flight just a second before Axel's jo lan hits the spot. Axel looks up at his changed friend, now, after a while of trying to deceive himself that this is not happening, his expression has changed, too.

'This is your stop.'

Shark rolls his eyes with apparent boredom.

'Oh come on. I think we went over this.'

'Your sister's powers are not gonna save you!'

'Maybe not.'

Axel lungs forward as a rope ladder is loosened from the helicopter. Shark grabs the ladder. As he is launched to the air, Axel grabs his wrist, rising to the air with him.

'Let go!' Shark hisses.

'Yeah, sure!' Axel replies sarcastically.

'If I were you, I would be helping out your friends rather than chasing me!'

He clings onto the ladder with his teeth and lets loose his other hand, with which he is still holding the gun. The ladder turns, and pointing the gun to the roof, the blond fires. A huge crack opens in the roof, sending pieces of rock and metal down.

'No!!' yells Axel.

Shark jerks his wrist, and Axel, not being able to hold on anymore, falls off to the roof. The leather wristbands on Shark's wrist got torn off, the thin leather remaining in Axel's hand.

Axel lands on the roof, fortunately not falling through the crack, thanks to his balance. He glances up at the sky, squinting, up at the disappearing dot of the helicopter...

Then, coming to his senses, he runs to the fire exit and goes down...


	5. Changes For Life

**Reviews still appreciated =) You can flame. **

**Disclaimer: I don't have any claim over A.T.O.M., which belongs to Sip Animations and Jetix.**

**--**

Axel runs down to the main hall to see his friends and the other people a bit shaken, but thankfully, unharmed.

'You guys okay?'

Hawk coughs as he straightens up. 'Yeah - we were lucky that King was here.'

'Yeah, but it happened so quickly.' says King, shaking his head. 'What was it?'

Axel looks at the wristbands in his palm, his hand shaking slightly.

'I guess you can call it a Shark - quake.'

Lioness frowns.

'He did this?'

Axel says nothing as he shuts his eyes and turns away. Lioness gulps, unable to say anything.

'I still don't get how he could do such a stupid thing!' blurts out King. 'He was not that kind of a person!'

'Does it matter why anymore? He has chosen his own path. He pointed the gun towards us, towards Li...'

Lioness glances at Axel at the emphasis of her name, but for some reason, this doesn't make her happy now as it usually does. Axel looks really sad as he continues on.

'He is nothing more than a criminal anymore. If we don't play these rules... (a sigh) Well, you saw what just happened.'

He turns down to Lioness, holding out his hand. 'But for now let's just get out of here.'

She looks at him for a moment, then closes her eyes and, gently pushing away his hand, gets up herself and walks toward the door, hugging herself tightly on the way. Axel looks a bit taken aback and slightly hurt and makes to follow her, but King stops him.

'I think we oughtta give her some 'lone time.'

'But...'

'Don't you see? Now I understand what was going on between these two.'

Axel looks to Lioness, then to King, and then he understands. His eyes go wide.

'You mean...'

'Anyway, I think we must be more careful around her from now on.'

Axel looks at King, his gaze hard as steel. 'That won't be a problem.'

He turns to face the front again.

'I don't know anyone named Shark from now on.'

***********

Outside the government building.

Mr. Victor comes to stand in front of the team, who had just come out.

'Sorry for the late backup, Manning. There is nothing too serious with the people in the building.'

Axel nods. 'That's good.'

Lioness holds her arm and walks to the Slamma, saying nothing more. Axel follows her with his gaze for a moment, then turns back to Mr. Victor.

'There's something we gotta tell you, Mr. Victor. Paine... has gotten stronger.'

Mr. Victor nods, serious. Axel hesitates for a moment, sighs.

'And now he has Shark, too.'

'Your friend? As a hostage?'

King grits his teeth. 'More like he went voluntarily. And we don't call him a _'friend'_ anymore.'

'But... I don't understand...'

'He's Paine's son.' Hawk explains.

The old man looks quite surprised, clearly anticipating anything but this. He adjusts his glasses.

'Still... I thought he was...'

'You are right. He _was._' Axel admits. 'Is no more. If you see him anywhere... don't forget this.'

The trio gets into the car, too, and they drive away...

************

Lioness enters her room, feeling strangely sad, empty, and any other bad feeling possible. Ever since they came into the Acquatics, they didn't even look at each other, let alone exchanging a single word. Everything now seems and feels like a very bad dream to her.

She slowly goes to her bed and sits down, looking out from the big window. She smiles tearfully as memories flood into her mind.

_-Flashback-_

_Axel, Lioness, King and Hawk come out of the would - be frozen grave._

_'Where did he go?'_

_At that moment, Slamma screeches to a stop just in front of them. The window on the driver's side rolls down and Shark gives them a thumbs - up. That's enough to make them smile with relief._

_'Something tells me he knows.'_

_-Flashback-_

She hugs herself tightly, as if to protect herself against some unseen enemy.

_-Flashback-_

_'It was all thanks to Shark :) I think Axel saw in him something we didn't.'_

_Shark gives her a weird - and slightly offended - look. Lioness grins nervously._

_'At least - until now.'_

_-Flashback-_

Her hands begin to shake as she tries to understand why this is happening, why he would do such a thing out of the blue.

At that time, a hard knock on her door snaps her out of her thoughts.

'Li - can I come in?'

She recognizes King's deep and kind voice and quickly wipes some tears in her eyes.

'Yeah, sure.'

King pops his head from behind the door. 'We just wanted to ask if you need something.'

Lioness gives a tiny smile.

'Oh, it's okay, you don't need to t...'

She stops in mid sentence, not eager to continue. King understands.

'Just in any case. We are still a team. You don't have to worry.'

'It's okay, really. I'm just gonna... take a nap for a while. See if it's all a bad dream or something.'

King nods and gets off. Lioness sighs and lies back down on the pillows...

**********

_............_

_She looks at the gun pointed at her, terrified, bewildered... Not wanting to believe..._

_It fires... She is shot..._

_'Whatever happens...'_

_She is falling into dark, into oblivion..._

_'I won't change...'_

_Darkness engulfs her, bringing every kind of light or sound around her in an end. Just one voice in her mind remains, echoing..._

_'You can count on that.'_

_............_

'Nooooooooooo!!...'

She jolts upright in her bed, panting. It is a while before she understands this is a nightmare. A nightmare that is not true - at least not yet.

At that time, her door bursts open and Axel rushes in, clearly aroused by her scream. She instinctively pulls the covers high under her chin.

'Oh I'm... I'm sorry, I just...'

He quickly turns back, ready to go out. Her voice stops him.

'Axel wait! Please...'

The bidding in her voice is more than enough to make him stop. He slowly turns back, a quizzical look on his face. Lioness bits her lower lip, still not sure if she wants to say this.

'I...'

She hesitates.

'Yes?...'

She looks up at him.

'Can you... stay with me...?'

Axel looks utterly bewildered now, mouth hanging slightly open, eyes a bit wide. Then he pulls a chair close to her bed, ready to sit down.

'Okay, I'll just...'

But Lioness grabs his wrist before he can do anything more, and forces him to face her. He sees tears shimmering behind her eyelids, and gulps.

'Please... Stay... with me...'

She lets go of his wrist and puts her hand to the bed, leaving the decision to him. He hesitates for a moment, but then he sits down on her bed, too. She hugs him from the side, one arm around his waist. After a moment, he puts his arm around her shoulder, too, and then with his free hand, he holds her face tentatively and makes her look at him.

'Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you when I'm around. We are gonna find them.'

Lioness nods, not looking at him in the eyes. He makes her look at him again, fingers gently caressing her cheek. They are very close together...

But Lioness slowly pulls herself away, still holding on to Axel, but putting a distance between them.

'I... I want to sleep...'

Axel pulls away, too, knowing that it can't be easy, not at the moment.

'I think we all need that.'

He makes to get up from the bed, but she grabs his wrist again, and her determined strength is enough to make him sit down.

'No...'

Tears now begin to pour down to her cheeks, and Axel understands he can't leave her like that.

'Stay here... (in a whisper) I'm afraid to go to sleep...'

Afraid. He never thought she could e afraid of anything. But here she is now, shivering, like an afraid little girl...

He takes her hand as she slowly lies down on his lap, stroking her hair, as he himself slowly drifts into sleep, too...

***********

'Just - how - long - is - he - gonna - use - the - bathroom? Hey!'

Magnus's eyes begin to shine purple as she begins to summon her magnetic powers. The metal handle of the bathroom door begins to rattle.

'Samantha - let him be!' Paine hisses.

'Well, there is only one bathroom in this place!'

Shark's voice comes from inside the bathroom.

'Well, you're perfectly welcome if you want to see me like this!'

Magnus becomes the brightest shade of red as Paine yells angrily.

'Enough kidding, Shark! Be quick!'

In the bathroom.

Shark giggles quietly on his own comment as he takes a little box on top of the counter and looks at himself in the mirror...

************

A few moments later.

'Daddy really - that's it - I'm not taking it!'

'You're not taking what?'

The bathroom door had finally opened. Both Magnus's and Paine's mouths fall open at the sight of Shark.

Shark has changed. Not majorly, but he has. His usually sleek blond hair is now kinda spiky at the end, with two locks falling right into his eyes, one jet black. He doesn't wear a blue outfit anymore, he's wearing a black biker style jacket with a white undershirt, and black, loose pants. His tooth necklace's leather is now black, and he has a piercing on his lower right lip.

(Think of his style as kind of a yin - yang, y'know, darkness in the light, light in the darkness stuff)

Magnus whistles her admiration as she approaches Shark, putting an arm to his shoulder.

'W - o - w! This is what I call style, little bro!'

Shark looks at her with a kind of bored expression.

'Touch me again - and I'll kill you - sis.'

Magnus looks stunned as she pulls her hand back after some hesitation, but if looks could kill, Shark would be dead long ago.

'Save your threats for enemies, son.'

They both turn at their father, Shark crossing his arms over his chest, and Magnus putting her hands to her hips. Paine has a really evil smile on his face.

'Nothing will stop us anymore. Now it's time... for chaos!...'

He begins laughing...


	6. Cover Up

**Well, here goes a new chapter :) One of my favorite chapter in this story. Oh, and. You'll need a song for this chapter. I indicate it in the story where you should start the song' but just so you can get it ready to listen to, I'll let you know here. It's called 'Orchard of Mines' and it is a song from Globus :)**

**Oh, and btw, my dear Dory. No, they didn't suspect that Lioness might know what Shark was up to. It is more like they suspected that there might be an emotional deal between the two, which might have led Shark leaving the team, and which will obviously make Lioness very unhappy :)**

**Anyway, with the ongoing chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A.T.O.M., it belongs to Sip animations and Jetix, and I'm bored of writing this over and over, but oh well ^^**

**--  
**

'So... That's your style.'

'Garrett, will you please keep your voice down? I'm trying to keep the cool here.'

'Well? Is the device working?'

Shark looks at the little device in his hand, where Garrett's voice is coming ever so slightly, like an alphacom, but a really little one, so little even to the point one can't notice it.

'Like magic.'

'It's called technology.'

Shark rolls his eyes.

'Whatever.'

'So when is the big act?'

'As soon as I can lure them in a trap.'

'What if it will be too late?'

'You are worrying too much.'

At that time, a ringing voice interrupts them.

'Sorry Garrett, gotta go.'

Shark turns off the little alphacom as he pulls his cellphone out. He sighs his boredom.

'What now?'

Magnus's voice, as bored and indifferent as his, reaches through.

'We are going out to have fun. You better come quickly. Daddy is NOT in a good mood.'

'Where are you going? I'm outside.'

'How on earth could you be outside while the whole law enforcement is after you - and us?'

The suspicion in her voice disturbs him, and he frowns.

'I can disguise myself quite successfully, unlike you.'

By the change in her voice, he imagines she is frowning, too.

'Were you talking to someone?'

'No. Do you think I'm left with ANYONE after the event in that government building?'

'You sound upset about that.'

Shark hisses at his sister. 'Never!'

'I. don't. trust. you.'

'Yeah' like I do.'

They don't say anything for a moment.

'We are going to Hotel Silver.'

'Where they will hold a...'

'Top secret meeting. Be there.'

'Gotcha.'

The call ends. After waiting for a good five minutes, Shark turns on his little alphacom again, connecting to Garrett a second time.

'Hotel Silver. I'll be there in ten minutes. Give me twenty minutes before sending the alarm to the team.'

'Gotcha. Shark... Be careful.'

'Don't be late, or I might have to do something bad to cover up there.'

'I won't.'

They end the conversation...

--

(Orchard of Mines - Globus)

Axel enters the living room, carrying a big cardbox in his hands. He sees Lioness, perched on the sofa, her legs crossed, holding her hands in her lap. She looks at him, her expression hard to read.

'Are you finished?'

Axel looks at the box in his hands and, after a second, shrugs.

'These are his stuff. Let's see him coming back and trying to get them.'

Lioness turns her head and says nothing. Axel does the same thing as he continues out to the elevator.

The door of Shark's room is shown. There are lots of cardboxes like the one Axel carried in front of the room, and the door itself is sealed with a huge, X - shaped tape.

Their portrait on the wall is shown. Shark is now missing. They couldn't completely paint him off, it seems more like they just pulled some wallpaper over his side. They had continued the portrait over the wallpaper, which is the original color of the wall behind it. A rather unusual scene, but a good cover up.

There is a general sense in Acquatics. Change. The place has also changed, along with its inhabitants. There is also another, stronger sense.

There will never be another change.

Never another chance.

It is over.

--

Shark meets his father and sister in a deserted area in a back street, near a bar. Because that it is an early time, the bar is also empty. There are a few motorcycles standing in front of the doors, but no big deal.

Magnus scoffs at her little brother as he approaches.

'Yeah - how are you planning to just barge into the hotel? I'm not helping you this time.'

Shark just rolls his eyes and pulls the buttons of his biker shirt open. Magnus looks awed as she sees two sets of hidden gun holders, and two small, but effective looking .38s.

(Do you know the gunholders the police wear on their shoulders? These are those kind of holders. And the .38s... They're just some kind of gun I read about a while ago.)

He raises an eyebrow.

'You were saying?'

Magnus scowls as she turns her back, arms crossed. Shark couldn't help but smirk slightly.

Paine turns towards the building.

'Let's go.'

They start toward the building...

--

- Sir! Sir, you can't just...

The young woman in the lobby gasps as Paine turns to her. He approaches the woman with an evil smirk.

'Excuse me, I think you were in the middle of something. Please continue. What exactly... CAN'T we do?

She doesn't even budge, seeming paralyzed with terror. Paine turns to Magnus and Shark.

'Samantha, guard the doors and prevent any 'help'. Shark... We have a party to crush.'

Shark smirks evilly and he and Paine walks over to the staircase leading down. Magnus makes a face as they disappear, muttering to herself.

'So he's your favorite now?'

--

The hall where the meeting is held.

Some great foreign businessmen are gathered in the small assembly room of the hotel to discuss the economic relationships of their firms and trade, unaware of the fuss going on outside the room.

Suddenly, the sounds of gunshots come from outside the room. Very surprised and frightened, they turn their heads to the door...

... As the door bangs open and Paine and Shark comes in, their guns drawn.

'Do you mind if we join?' Paine asks mockingly.

A brave businessman tries to reach down the heavily polished mahogany table, apparently aiming to push the police call button, which is put there just in case. But Shark has seen it. He quickly jumps onto the table, towering over the man, his drawn gun pointing carefully under the man's chin, pressing slightly.

'Don't make a move... or we will have to make our move.'

The man looks up at him with fear actually written on his face. Another one looks at Paine, even his voice shaking as he speaks.

'What do you want from us?'

Paine takes a chair and sits down, clasping his hands in front of him. A manner which is very like a businessman. A cold irony.

'Just some financial support for our projects. We hope you will give it... willingly.'

They look at Paine and Shark, clearly terrorized by the very presence of the father and son...

--

The Acquatics.

The four are sitting in the living room now, not talking much to each other. A quick glance around the place shows that the cardboxes have been moved away from the door to Shark's room, which now seems very lonely.

A ringing voice suddenly rises over the sounds from the television. Axel takes his cellphone out.

'Garrett? We're listening.'

He pushes a button so the phone is now in conference mood, making the others able to hear Garrett's voice.

'Guys, you better head for Hotel Silver quickly. There was an important finance meeting there and someone pushed the emergency police call. They are on their way.'

'Don't tell me. Paine, Shark and Magnus.' says King.

A moment passes through silence.

'I'm afraid so.' Garrett replies finally.

Axel closes his eyes and sighs.

'Okay, I'm getting really bored of this. Let's go and finish it. Team, gear it up!'

--

Paine gets up, his face showing dismay.

'Okay. This didn't end up in the way I had expected.'

He raises the big gun he is carrying.

'I guess it's time to say goodbye.'

Seeing this, Shark steps in.

'Father, let me deal with them.'

Paine looks at him, a bit suspicious that Shark could do so much as to injure these guys. But then he lowers the gun.

'Don't take too long. We have to go.'

Shark nods curtly. Paine goes outside.

Shark looks down at the man he is still holding the gun to. Seeing this, the man panics.

'You can't kill us! We have family, children! Have mercy!'

Shark rolls his eyes.

'Chill out. I'm not gonna kill you.'

The man looks skeptic as he sighs.

'Yeah, and I'm Santa.'

Shark has no patience for this. He hisses.

'Well, nice to meet you, Santa. Where were you when I wanted that bicycle for my seventh birthday?'

He sighs, gets up and turns his back to the man.

'And you don't have to do that, the police are already on the way.'

The man with whom he is talking to freezes in mid action, surprised that the blond sensed him even with his back to him. One of the other businessman now speaks to Shark, perplexed.

'Who are you? Why are you doing this?'

Shark looks half back at them, kind of a sad look on his face.

'I don't know. I'm just doing what I have to do.'

He turns to the men watching him intently, and shrugs, almost in an innocent way.

'I guess you can think me as a secret agent.'

They blink, these words sounding a bit weird, coming from a young man who was threatening them just a few moments ago. Shark looks at them one by one.

'At least until you hear the police sirens, play dead, or something, I don't know. Because if those other guys so much as to learn that you are still living... this time I can't help you, and you'll never see your families again!'

He couldn't keep the bitterness and harshness away from his voice. He passes his hand through his face, and looks up at the men again.

'This might hurt a little.'

--

Paine smirks as he and Magnus hear the gunshots and moans of pain from the meeting hall...

--

Mr. Victor and some of his men are in a police car, driving to the hotel, followed by at least a dozen of other police cars.

Suddenly, gunshots are heard from the hotel.

Mr. Victor creases his forehead with worry.

'Damn!'

--

Shark gets out of the room, closes the door and walks upstairs, where Paine and Magnus are waiting for him.

'So you did it?' Magnus asks, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

'You had doubt?'

She raises her eyebrows. He shakes his head and sheathes his gun. As the police sirens are begin to be heard.

'Let's go.' Paine says.

They walk out of the doors, leaving a total chaos behind...


	7. Mistrust

**Here goes the new part ^^ I love this one too, but the upcoming is far better in any terms. Dory, I would love to thank for your great reviews, they are both encouraging and constructive :) I know there are a few people who waits for a certain point, but you keep me going quite well. And I'll try to pay attention for my mistakes.**

**Most of the italics you will see in this chapter represents thoughts. They also stand for flashbacks and (in Magnus's case) kind of shouting. Just wanted to warn you ^^  
**

**Sorry for making a bit of a jerk out of Axel in this chapter. But it needed to be done ^^  
**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own this show, peeps. Jetix and Sip Animations do ^^**

**--  
**

'_I don't know how to start this._'

Magnus glances at Shark, who is just watching television carelessly. He doesn't even seem to notice her.

'_Like... what would be your first reaction, if someone just comes up and tells you he's your half brother - just like this, just out of the blue._'

Paine enters the room, sees the brother and sister, and sighs.

'_And... I mean! Him out of all people. Like... couldn't I have a brother more like the bad type?_'

Magnus closes her eyes and sighs.

'_I don't trust him. I know I said it to his face at least a billion times personally, but... He's just not the type._'

She looks back at Shark again, who has risen to his feet due to Paine's signal. She, too, gets up and slowly approaches the duo.

'_I feel there is something more to this betrayal of his to his friends._'

--

'_WHAT?_'

'I want you two to do something together. I don't like your attitude towards each other.' Paine explains, slightly frowning at his over reacting daughter.

Shark smirks.

'Fine by me.'

Paine looks satisfied and turns his attention to Magnus.

'Samantha?'

Magnus sighs, clearly not satisfied herself, but not in a position to disagree.

'Okay.'

He nods. Shark looks at him.

'So... What is the plan?'

--

The team arrives a second after the police did. Seeing them, Mr. Victor rushes to greet.

'Where have you been?'

'We just received the message.' Axel speaks. 'What's the situation?'

'Well, eye witnesses said Paine and Shark busted into the assembly hall while Magnus backed them up. The businessmen are... uh...'

He hesitates there, and bows his head. With this reaction, Lioness rushes down the hall, and down the stairs into the assembly hall, where she sees a great deal of people.

She stops dead with a gasp.

Blood. Spread nearly everywhere. The businessmen are lying on the ground, some moaning softly, some not even budging at all.

Lioness quickly kneels beside one of them, who still seems conscious, her eyes quivering.

'What happened here - who did such a thing?'

Some blood on the man's shoulder gets to her hand, and she gapes at it, shocked. The man looks up at her weakly, the loss of blood making him a bit dizzy. Her voice now comes out pleadingly.

'Was it Paine? Sir, please...'

The man slowly shakes his head no.

'Paine?... No, it wasn't him. It was the other... God, he _was_ just a boy...'

That was what she feared. She brings her hand to her mouth, her gaze on the floor, tears filling into her eyes.

'He did this.'

'Paine was about to finish us off... He... made his father go out... Then he... talked to us. He even persuaded us, y'know... I think he was just toying with us.

Her eyes widen.

'Sir - what did he say?'

The man coughs up some blood, then becomes still. Lioness couldn't believe it.

'Sir?...'

But there was no other response. She fears the worst, and checks for a pulse. Still beating. She sighs with relief. By the time, some nurses and doctors rush in with stretchers. One comes up to them.

'Missy, if you please...'

Normally, she wouldn't be pleased to be called by the word 'missy', but she doesn't care now. What is more important is the man's situation at the moment, and...

Her heart breaks as she thinks about it. It hurts so much to think that her friend, who was just so caring and full of life, just a few days ago, just before...

_-Flashback-_

_'And will you change?'_

_'No. Whatever happens... I will not change. You can count on that.'_

_-Flashback-_

She is deep in thought as she walks beside the stretcher, looking, as if transfixed, to the man's pale face.

_..._

_'I... I think I like you more than just a friend.'_

_..._

Is that it? Is that the reason that he had left them without a word, and betrayed them to Paine? Or is it more than just this?

She doesn't have any idea what this 'more' could be.

She didn't have time to think about what he had said at that time. Her reaction was immediate, she was confused. Actually, she still is confused. And seeing this...

She springs out of her thoughts as she comes before her friends.

'You okay?' asks Hawk.

She nods half heartedly, not looking at them in the eye. Axel understands something is wrong.

'What's the problem?'

She just looks at the man on the stretcher, unable to express it in words. But the look on her face is more than just enough. Axel's hands turn into fists.

'He... Shark did this, right?'

At the mention of his name, her head shoots up, and they all see, not to much surprise, that her face is wet.

'Don't...' she whispers pleadingly.

They don't say anything for a second. Then Axel bursts out.

'Well what?! This is what he _did_, Li! Whether you like it or _not_! We don't like it either, but _he_ choose to be that way!'

She hugs herself tightly, carefully not looking at them. King and Hawk send killer eyes to Axel. Lioness looks up at last with a defeated look.

'I... think I need time. To fix stuff up.'

She turns her back and starts walking, out and away from the team and the police. King flungs after her.

'Li, wait!'

She doesn't even stop for a moment. At last, King catches her arm to stop her.

'Wait...'

She turns to him, not avoiding her eyes this time, which shine with tears.

'It's okay. I know Axel's right. It's just...'

She clasps her hand around her mouth and sobs. King looks really sorry as he steps forward and tentatively puts his arms around her. She just lets go, she just wants to have comfort, to get rid of this nightmare. She whispers.

'It is just so hard...'

'I know... We all know...'

She cries to his shirt, feeling heart broken. King doesn't know just what he can do to soothe her down as they stand there.

Hawk glares at Axel.

'Good call, genius!'

--

_'The grievous happening in Hotel Silver causes great fear and depression all over the country as the notorious criminal, known as Alexander Paine, once again terrorizes Landmark City. The meeting of the businessmen in the hotel was raided by Paine, his daughter Samantha, a.k.a. Magnus, and his son Ollie Sharker, a.k.a. Shark, who was assumed to be a hero against his father just a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, the businessmen had all died.'_

The news show the trio's pictures over and over, with Shark still in his old appearance. Shark sighs slowly and closes his door over it.

'Thanks for the help.'

'I would like to say 'don't mention it', but do you know just how much trouble I get in to do that?' answers Garrett's voice.

Shark grins.

'C'mon, everyone knows you're the best at technology.'

'Thanks for the praising. Anyway, isn't it too risky to call me while they're around?'

'This is important. Listen to me.'

--

The hospital.

The team sit on the benches in front of the operation room, waiting for some news about the businessmen, partly because there is nothing they could do at the time, and partly because they are not at all eager to do something after the shock.

Seeing a doctor coming out of the room, King is the first one to snap out of the trance. He walks over to the doctor as the others slowly look up.

'How are they?'

The doctor pulls out his plastic gloves as he begins talking.

'Nothing serious, fortunately. But I don't get it... It's like there was no murderous intention behind all these shootings. Not one of the bullets did hit a vital.'

They sigh with relief.

'Thanks a lot, doctor.' Axel says.

The doctor just nods with the ghost of a smile and walks away. They look at each other, a bit confused.

'No murderous intention... Why the hell they were there for, then?' Hawk questions.

'Dunno... I mean, his aim wasn't lousy, either...' King comments.

Axel feels a headache going through his skull as he takes his cellphone out.

'Anyway... Lioness will be happy to hear it.'

--

'I see. It's weird Paine won't actually go himself for such a thing.'

'Well, he wants us to be more... trustful - to each other. And it was my suggestion, anyway. Would be more easier for me.'

'Okay. Can't believe how many times in this week I said this to you - be careful.'

'Yeah, sure. Look, I have to go now. Talk to you later.'

Shark and Garrett end their conversation as...

--

'They are okay? That's good to hear...'

Lioness is sitting on the window sill as she talks to Axel on the phone. She looks down at her feet, absent mindedly playing with her hair, then looks out from the window.

'When will you guys be back?'

She listens to the answer, her face not reflecting anything. She sighs.

'Okay. Yeah, see ya later.'

She ends up the call and walks to the kitchen to make herself some coffee.

--

Magnus glances through the ajar door, slightly she just hear something?

'Samantha?'

She turns back to see her father behind her, looking at her with a slight frown, clearly in dismay to see her there.

'What are you doing in front of his room?'

She looks at him with a determined look on her face, her chin held up.

'I heard him talking to someone!'

'Who?'

'I don't know, he didn't say a name... How can you trust him like this, anyway???'

She looks up at him, ready to fight for her argument. He has a deep frown now.

'Explain yourself.'

'Explain my... Dad, he had been against you for more than a year! How can you just...'

'You didn't see what he did to his so called friends! If he didn't want to be on our side, he wouldn't have done _that_.'

'What if it's all a trap? What if he did this so we could walk into it safely, trusting him...'

'What's the deal?'

She stops abruptly as Shark comes out of the room, looking at them curiously - and somewhat innocently. Paine shots her a look that clearly says 'don't - say - a - word', and speaks.

'Nothing, son.'

'But...'

Paine just glares at her.

'Are you afraid of the big plan, sis?' Shark asks mockingly with a smirk.

Magnus glares at him and huffs, then turns back to go to her own room...

--

That night. Around 11 p.m.

Pitch dark. Only a small, very small hole is seen up above. Suddenly, some blond hair is seen through the hole. Then Shark's face comes.

'Okay. I think we can go now.'

He lets a rope loose down the hole. In an instant, the red lazer flames of an alarm is seen through the vault.

Shark looks at his sister.

'Go on.'

Magnus snaps back.

'Why me first? You go on.'

Shark rolls his eyes.

'I'm gonna hold the rope so you won't fall. Okay? Satisfied?'

She is about to open her mouth once again, but then gives up. She nods, and heads for the rope. Shark looks satisfied.

'_I wanna trust you._'

She holds onto the rope, dangles her feet from the hole, and jumps in. The rope sways slightly and dangerously, but it doesn't touch the red beams.

'_Just this once..._'

She begins slowly to descend down, step by step.

'_Don't betray me... Or us, for that reason._'

She looks up at Shark, who is watching her with an expressionless face, the wind blowing his hair away from his eyes.

'_Because... I'll make you pay for it, and it won't be easy._'

With a soft pat, she lands on the ground.

--

The Acquatics. Around 11.30 p.m.

Everywhere is so quiet. Not one light can be see through the house.

King is on the table, sleeping soundly with his face on it, his laptop open in front of him. He has obviously fallen asleep while searching something. Not a very comfortable position.

Suddenly, an alarm starts to beep on the computer screen. King grimaces, and turns to the other side. The alarm continues beeping non - ceasantly.

'Damn, not now!'

He squints as he looks on the screen.

--

'So is it here?' demands Magnus. 'The...'

'Vault of gold. Which is newly brought to LMC, blah blah... Yeah...'

Shark looks up at the vault entrance, while she looks at him. He seems to realize this, but doesn't care enough. Then he turns to her.

'Look - you won't be able to use your powers here.'

'I know. That's why we come here together.'

'Yeah, but even I can't protect you for too long.'

She looks at him with a daring look.

'Then you'll have to answer for father.'

'Just be careful.'

--

'A vault of gold?' replies King unbelievably. 'Now, this is weird.'

Axel stretches his chin, a deep frown on his face.

'Why would he do this? Magnus can't use her power on gold. It just... doesn't fit.'

'I don't understand, either.' Garrett's voice is coming through the computer. 'But it might be a good opportunity to catch them both.'

Lioness puts her arm to the table and leans forward.

'And what if it's a trap? It wouldn't be the first.'

Hawk yawns. 'She has a point.'

'I'm not telling you to rush into anything. I'm just telling you it's an opportunity.'

Axel looks determined.

'Which I don't want to turn down.'

He looks at his friends one by one, who stand in agreed silence. Only Lioness seems a bit reluctant. Axel turns back to Garrett.

'We're on our way.'

--

Click!

With that, and an electronic sound from the system, the door of the vault is opened.

The siblings look at each other. Then, having trusted him for this once, Magnus shrugs and enters the pitch black vault, the shining of the vault creating weird shadows.

'Come on in... Geez, it's wonderful.'

Shark sighs.

'I'm coming, sis.'

He pulls out his gun and enters the vault.

--

Before heading out, Axel pulls Lioness to a corner, a serious expression on his face.

'What?...'

'You sure you wanna come with us?'

Lioness stares at him and blinks, very surprised.

'Why? Of course I want to, I...'

'It's a very late time, and...'

Axel doesn't continue for a moment. She doesn't like it.

'And what?'

He sighs, and looks at her in the eye.

'Look, we all see it, ever since he's gone, you're like... You can't bear to be there, you didn't even come to the hospital, you seem like you want to wake up from a nightmare, you don't even take much care into anything anymore...'

After a slight pause, he continues.

'It wasn't our fault he left us, you know that.'

She looks at him unbelievably. In turn, his dark blue eyes are cold. Cold as ice. She jerks her arm away from him, and turns half back, not wanting to look at him in the eye.

'This is exactly what I don't like about it.'

She couldn't say 'you'. She doesn't want to be harsh. Not like him. Tears fill into her eyes as she continues.

'Why are you just like this? Sometimes... sometimes I think you have no emotions at all.'

She has hit a weak spot. He squints, his expression very hard to read.

'What do you mean?'

She turns to him in a fuss.

'You're acting like you don't care! Axel, we have called him a 'friend' for more than a year, I just can't understand how you can erase him all at once, even with what he has done! I'm sorry, but...'

She hesitates there, bites her lips and looks down, trying to choose the right words. He looks at her coldly, just waiting for her to continue, nothing more, no feeling.

'You give me the impression that you don't care for anyone other than your father - or Paine.'

A look of utter shock etches slowly upon Axel's face. He gulps once, trying to stay his cool.

'You don't understand.'

She looks straight up in his eyes.

'Then make me understand. Don't shut yourself up in a box.'

She walks to his side to go to the door. He holds her arm again, this time not too gently.

'You're _not_ coming.'

She looks at his hand on her arm first, then glances up at him with a daring look.

'Let's see how you'll stop me.'

She jerks her arm once again and walks out of the door. Axel watches her for a second, then sighs...

--

In the vault.

'What are you doing there - stuck in gold or something?'

Magnus giggles as she walks deeper in. Shark laughs.

'Are you drunk?'

'C'mon, just a little fun...' She holds up a piece. 'Look - at - this, jeez!'

Shark glances around the room, sighs and looks down.

'Sis, we have to talk about something.'

She is still inspecting the gold in her hands. 'Sorry, I'm thinking about this new jewel I want. About what do you wanna talk, anyway?'

She looks at him. And a gasp comes out of her mouth.

Shark has directed his gun towards her.

'This.'

With an echoing thud, the gold in her hand hits the floor.

'It's over.'

--

Lioness looks ahead to Axel's ride, and sighs.

'_That wasn't good._'

She looks at her hands, and grips the handles a bit tighter.

'_Wasn't good at all._'

Axel, on the other hand, is having a headache with his own thoughts. He shakes his head slightly, trying to clear it up.

'_What if she was right? Am I really only about Paine and my father?_'

--

'Okay' this is not funny.'

Shark doesn't move a muscle. 'I'm not being funny.'

Magnus huffs loudly and flails her arms. '_Great!_ It took me three whole days to finally trust you, and now this? Just _great!_'

She sits down casually, seeming unbelievable. Shark looks taken aback.

'This is_ not_ a game. The police and the team are gonna be here in just seconds, and you are turning down.'

She looks up at him, amused. 'Well, duh! So are you.'

He just smirks. 'I have my precautions, unlike you.'

This is too much, even for Magnus. She gets up, her eyes shooting daggers.

'So you think that's it, just like this? Well, let me say this. You forget one thing, bro. We may be in a vault of gold.'

Her eyes begin to shine purple as her magnetic powers are summoned. Her whole body begins to shine in a purple light, creating an eery light show in the vault. She smirks.

'But the guns are still of steel.'

She uses her power to call to the metal, to make it turn towards its bearer...

--

The sound of the alarm echoes throughout the whole street where the bank is. The team stop their vehicles just in front of the bank and look at the building.

'If we're lucky...' Hawk begins.

Axel finishes the sentence for him. 'We'll catch them both.'

He tries not to look at Lioness...

--

Nothing happens. Magnus looks really shocked as the gun doesn't budge at all.

'What the... Why??'

'Shocked?'

Shocked just doesn't cover it. Magnus looks terrifyingly helpless as she realizes there is nothing in this room she can use. She looks back at Shark.

'How?'

The alarm begins to wail around the bank, and the red lazers beam on and off. Shark's smile seems eerily frightening through all these.

'Sorry, sis. This gun - is made of pure gold. It is only painted as it is so you would think it is metal.'

Seeing that she really can't do anything to him right now, he turns his back to go. At that instant, Magnus realizes one thing. Shiny.

'Wait!'

As he turns to her, she uses the last bit of her power to hurt him through that little, ridiculously small thing. Then he realizes what she is trying to do. He smirks once again as he points to his piercing.

'This one? Well, sorry. This is made of gold, too.'

He turns his back once again and enters the code of the door, and the door beeps open. He pushes a small button on his coat and becomes suddenly invisible.

Magnus launches herself on the door as it closes, her scream only reaches the closed door.

'No! Let me out!'

She closes her eyes with a sigh, so she can't see the bright lights of the lazer shining on gold, and she crumples down on the floor as she hears people coming from the other side...


	8. Payback

**Finally :P**

**Geez, did this take the _hell _of a long time typing to the computer. It is 4.30 in the morning and I've been writing literally for hours. **

**But I still love this part :) Hope you will enjoy it too. We are almost nearing to the end, dudes. Roughly four episodes left. I believe.**

**Anyway, enough with the drama :) There's a tiny thing I've been planning to tell you from a very long time, but keep forgeting. Please visit my profile before or after (preferably before) reading this chapter and visit the link :) My friend is a great artist O_O You will see what I mean. **

**The italics also describes thoughts and other things you will find out during the course.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A.T.O.M. Jetix and Sip animations do.**

**Enjoy ^^**

**--  
**

'_Dude, I'm late!_' Shark thinks as he hurries towards the doors of the bank, still in his invisible form. His answer for his father's interrogation is ready: the police and the team came timelessly, and he couldn't save her. The problem was that they come a bit too early.

He stops breathlessly in front of the doors, as they burst open. His heart skips a beat as he sees who there are.

They haven't changed. Not if you don't count that they look much too older and wiser in just a few days. A broken smile crosses over his face. What had he done to them, just to keep this game up. But they are the ones who are going to win. This thought cheers him up a bit.

Lioness goes over to help a bounded guard as Axel, King and Hawk go to the vault. Something keeps him from walking out of the bank as he watches her. He remembers the time when Paine intended to create a storm over LMC and him and her went to rescue Dr. Nimbus's family. He bends next to her and, smiling, he pulls the knot of the ropes slowly so she can free the man easily. she frowns, not knowing what to think of it, but then figuring that maybe they didn't care enough. When the guard is freed, she begins asking questions.

'Sir, what happened here?'

'I was half asleep when this happened. There was a boy and a girl...'

'Can you describe them?' **(1)**

'They were about 19 or 20. The girl has black hair with red dye, and wears leather. The boy... He has blond hair with a black dyed lock in front of his eyes, and he wears black clothes.'

She looks confused.

'Black clothes? Are you sure?'

'Darn sure, young lady. I might be sleepy, but I know who attacked me.'

'You wouldn't recognize me if you see me like this now.' Shark mutters slowly, not looking at her, even when he knows she couldn't see him. Lioness nods to the man.

'Okay. The police is outside. You can go now.'

The guard does what he is told to. Lioness holds herself, her gaze on the floor. Shark was just about to leave when he hears her murmur.

'Why?...'

There is a hidden sob deep in her voice. This is what makes him stop.

'Three days have passed... I still don't understand... Why did you do this, why did you leave us when we need you most?'

He was just about to open his mouth when she speaks again.

'Is it because I broke your heart?'

Shark stands with his mouth open for a time. He never thought that before leaving. Okay, maybe not exactly the same thing, but...

'If it's that, then... I'm sorry, Shark, I'm so sorry...'

He sees tears in her eyes, which makes his heart almost beat to a stop. He quickly comes in front of her, extending his hand to her cheek, as if to touch, but he knows he couldn't.

'No... Don't think like that, please. Nothing was your fault. It was me.'

He sighs deeply.

'I wouldn't be able to look at your face after what I said, I know that. But I didn't leave because of that. I just wanted to do something. I couldn't just sit around - like mom wanted. This was the only way.'

Suddenly, Lioness begins to come closer. Surprised, Shark didn't think of stepping to the side, but he retreats back until he bumps into the wall behind him. He didn't even realize that he didn't lower his hand.

Stopping just a few steps before him, Lioness sighs and puts her hand to the wall.

'I don't know why I'm saying these stuff. You're not even here.'

He doesn't know what to say, or yet even what to think. She turns away a moment later to join the rest of the team. But she turns to face the wall once again, with a bitter expression on her face.

'And what would've changed if you were here, anyway? You've changed so much even I can't recognize you anymore.'

She turns away for the last time to leave a stunned Shark behind, who, after a second, gets out of the bank, looking down...

--

'Okay, I'm asking for the last time. Where - is - he?'

Magnus sighs with a bored expression.

'And I'm answering for the last time, Ax. I don't know where the hell he is.'

'Yeah, a very likely story - you just fall asleep and he gets away without bothering to wake you.' King retorts.

'Yeah, something like that.'

Axel passes a fand through his face, something about this just keeps bothering him. He looks up at Magnus again.

'I want you to tell me the truth.'

She just scoffs and turns her head.

'Like I have to.'

'Look, don't play with us! I - want - to - know - where - exactly - that - guy - is!'

'So he is '_that guy_' for you now? Geez, what a friendship!'

Axel growls angrily and pulls his left hand in a fist, and throws it into the wall behind her with such a force that a small hole appears. He closes his eyes for a second to regain his patience.

'I'm not gonna do this to you.'

She, however, doesn't look impressed.

'Of course you're not. You can't hit a lady.'

Barely holding his snicker, Hawk murmurs. 'I would have to think twice before considering you a lady.'

She crumples her lips in dismay. '_You're so stupid... You can't even see that he's trying to help you, right?... But I don't have to tell you this._'

She looks at her nails, then smirks and closes her eyes. '_No. Because revenge will be sweet._'

At that time, Lioness comes in.

'Guys, the police has arrived.'

'Okay, let's go.'

Magnus gets up proudly, and approaches the door of the vault, where Lioness is standing. She gets closer to her as she whispers, only for her, for the girl, she knows, that her brother loves.

'First round to you, maybe, but just you wait. By this way or that, we're gonna win.'

Lioness stands frozen to the ground for a time after she heard this. What did she mean?

Seeing that she had created the effect she had wanted, Magnus walks between King and Hawk and they get out. Only Axel and Lioness is left in the room now. She suddenly feels very restless, having had a disagreement with him earlier. Seeing him coming to her way doesn't help, either.

He stops just in front of her, looking as intimate as she does.

'I have to tell you something.' they say at the same time. This brings a tentative and half - reluctant smile to their faces.

'Allow me first!' This time they couldn't help but giggle, it is just so funny to say the same things at the same time.

'I thought about the things you said on the way.' Axel begins.

'I... was a bit too harsh, I think.'

'No! No... You were right. I think I was just too devastated when he left us, I'm trying to cover it up with anger.'

Lioness nods, feeling that they had begun to understand each other at last. Axel looks at her, still unsure.

'So are we cool?'

She smiles at him sincerely, like nothing happened a few hours ago.

'We are.'

He smiles at her, too, relieved that they went over this.

--

Magnus glances around, bored. Riding in a prison van is surely not her idea of fun.

She looks at her handcuffs. Made of gold. Just as the guns and the piercing of her damned brother. Thinking of her just makes her angrier and angrier. She twists her wrists, still looking at the handcuff, trying to find one single weak spot so she can bail out of this van, and then... payback time.

'C'mon...'

Then she sees it. 22 carats of gold. That give her still 1% of metal. An evil smile crosses her lips.

'Of course... For it to work properly they just have to put a certain amount of metal.'

But 1% is still a big job. To concentrate, she closes her eyes, and leaves her mind empty, so she can sense the tiny bit of metal. She grits her teeth, taking too much of an effort doing it.

But she had sensed it. She begins to pull on the handcuffs, trying to pry them open. The usual purple magnetic aura around her begins to shine blue, green and a bit of white...

--

The driver and the man beside him in the prison van finally realizes something is wrong.

'Did you hear that?'

--

Finally, with a horrible breaking sound, the cuffs get opened. The aura around Magnus begins to cool down. But it's no longer purple. It's a color between electrical blue and aqua green. With the light of her power still shining in her eyes, she looks at her hands with a satisfied smile.

'I feel like I'm... rejuvenated...'

As her eyes begin to have an ice cold expression, the aura dies and her eyes begin to shine in a white - blue light.

'Now back to business.'

She comes before the bars and puts a hand to her hip.

'It's just my luck they didn't think I could get rid off the handcuffs.

She lifts a finger...

--

BAMMM!!

With the blinding light accompanying this sound, the driver couldn't see anything. The van begins to swivel.

'What the hell?!'

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Magnus appears on the side of the van, her eyes somewhat back to normal, but with a slight white - blue ring around the pupils.

'Do you mind if I borrow the van?'

The men look really stunned, clearly not expecting the prisoner they were carrying under high security conditions to escape.

'I think you are in no position to disagree.'

She raises her hand and smirks, not her usual laugh, maybe, but still a sign showing that she's demented. The van very suddenly loses control completely, zig zagging on the road. Magnus looks at the men again, and her eyes are a frightening color of blue and green.

'Guess it's time for you to say goodbye.'

They look terrified...

--

As the van goes closer to the railings of the bridge, the door on the right side bursts open with a bang, and the two men are thrown out to the river.

'Bye bye, thank you a lot!'

Magnus giggles to herself as she rides the van alone now, bumping her hand to the steering wheel gleefully. Even the shining of her eyes become dim and then die down as she becomes cooler and happier.

'_Just you wait..._'

--

'This is just getting weirder and weirder.'

Everyone looks at King. They were just sitting at a late - night cafe, trying to get to themselves. They haven't talked much since they come. But after he said that, it becomes clearer that they were thinking around the same lines.

'You know, actually...' Axel begins. 'This keeps bugging my mind, too. He didn't do any serious harm to anyone since he changed sides... He could kill the guards at the bank easily, Paine does it all the time...'

Like an after thought, Hawk mumbles.

'Or the businessmen... Y'know, from that time, I've been thinking... Maybe he 'didn't' intend to kill them, after all...'

A look of shock etches upon Lioness's face as she realizes.

'Or us... He could've shot us easily, he had the upper hand... He couldn't shot me, he missed it on intention...

'And he left Magnus right in our hands!' King finishes, almost shouting. 'Just when we need a breakthrough to attack them...'

They look at each other, shocked, impressed - and a lot worried - as the truth begins to dawn on them. Suddenly, Lioness shots up, clearly not able to sit down for another second. Axel looks up at her.

'Li...'

'He's out there - Paine is gonna find out the truth sooner or later - we have to find him!'

'We are gonna, but just cool down first...'

She has tears in her eyes.

'No - you don't understand, I...'

She couldn't continue, the burden she is bearing after _that moment_ come down heavier and heavier on her as time passes. '_It was my fault..._'

Suddenly, something clicks on King's mind.

'Guys, I just remembered something. Think about this - who contacted with us first whenever Paine, Magnus and Shark were up to something?'

They look at King for a second before Hawk answers. 'Garrett...'

They think for another long moment as King waits impatiently. Then it comes to Axel.

'You mean Garrett could know all this from the beginning?'

'Think! Shark has avoided us carefully twice in a row now. How should he know when exactly we would come, unless...'

'He had been given information...' Lioness murmurs.

'I'm gonna contact Garrett immediately.'

But before King can do anything, one of their phones rings. Axel gets his out and answers right away.

'Garrett? Wait a sec...'

He pushes the conference mood as Hawk mumbles. 'That was quick.'

Garrett's voice comes out really worried from the phone.

'Guys... I don't know how, but... Magnus has escaped!'

Lioness gasps loudly and they look at each other, shocked...

--

'What do you mean you couldn't save her?! Why do you think you went with her? I could have send one of you alone to another mission!!'

Shark winces and closes his eyes as he listens on and on to Paine. He knew this was coming, but it was still trouble.

'The police and the team came timelessly. I barely saved myself. I'm sorry for what had to happen to sis.'

Paine sighs and passes a hand through his face. He didn't count this in the plan. He didn't think it was necessary. He had trusted him.

Shark reluctantly offers.

'We... can plan a jail break.'

'With all those newly put security? We can never get through that.'

'And whose jail break is this, anyway?'

With that voice, both Paine and Shark turn at the same time. Magnus stands a few feet away from them, her arms crossed, a cold expression on her face. Paine and Shark both seem surprised, but of different reasons. Still, Shark tries to look the best he could. Magnus raises her eyebrows.

'Am I late for the '_big plan_', bro?'

She walks into the room, not looking at her father or brother, just straight forwards.

'Samantha...' Paine begins.

'Please daddy, later. First...' She turns to face Shark. 'I have to talk to bro about something.'

'Okay, look, I didn't...'

Magnus cuts in Shark's sentence, rolling her eyes. 'Yeah, sure.' She turns to Paine. 'Did he tell you everything?'

'What everything, what are you talking about?'

'Dad, I warned you a billion times! He's still on the other side! He locked me in that vault - the guns he carry are made of gold - so as his damned piercing! I couldn't use my power on him!'

With every word, a frown is etched upon Paine's face. 'Is that true?'

He turns to face his son, and freezes...

Shark has drawn his guns, hoping it would be for the last time, and now directed one to his father and one to his sister.

'What would you do if it was true?'

--

'How can this happen?? Mr. Victor promised all security - everything was made of gold!' blurts King, unable to believe in at what he's hearing.

'I know. The driver and the guard said she just get out of the van - we don't know how it happened, but if she did that...' Garrett tries to explain.

Axel is stretching his chin with a deep frown on his face. Then he speaks.

'Garrett... If you know something about this stuff... I think now is the time to spill it.'

There is silence for a moment.

'What exactly do you mean?'

Following Axel's lead, King quickly explains. 'We think Shark was trying to help us from the beginning. Everything he did...'

'If what we think is true, and Magnus has escaped now, knowing this...' Hawk trails off, not being able to complete the sentence.

Lioness finishes, her voice quivering. 'He's in a _great_ deal of trouble.'

'Garrett, if you know where they are, you have to tell us now.' Axel says with a fierce expression. 'Or it will be too late.'

They all stop, waiting anxiously. Then Garrett talks.

'Guys - I wasn't supposed to tell you that - but...'

'And why is that?' Axel asks suspiciously, already beginning to suspect the answer.

'He made me promise...'

'So you _are_in contact with him.' King points out.

'Well... yeah. He never betrayed you. From the beginning... He needed technological help, so he came to me. He wanted to help you guys as usual, but y'know, his mother and all... So he thought it would be better - and quicker - if he went in as a spy. If everything went according to his plan... they would fall right into the trap, and you would catch Paine and Magnus quickly, and his mother wouldn't have to learn about it.'

'But this was too dangerous - why didn't he tell anything to us?' Lioness demands, obviously not being able to think clearly after what they have heard. Garrett sighs.

'And you would all voluntarily say okay if he told you that, right?'

All of them speak at once. 'No!!'

Garrett doesn't say anything for a moment to let the idea sink in them.

'You see now? He wanted you to be in doubt, so Paine, or Magnus, wouldn't suspect him. He threatened you, shot the businessmen... so you would eventually start hating him.'

'Well, he made his point.' King hisses through gritted teeth. 'I'm _so_ gonna kill that guy when I see him!'

'Yeah, me too!' Axel almost yells with frustration.

'Me three!' Hawk joins in, not able to hold his fear back, either.

'Guys!' Lioness turns back to Garrett. 'Garrett, we _have_ to know where he is!'

'Well, uh... I'm sorry, but it's not possible at the moment.'

'W... wait, why not?'

'I can't locate him until he calls me. That was our plan.'

The team all sigh. King's tone is almost close to exasperation. 'That idiot! What are we gonna do now?'

'Just wait, I'm afraid.' Garrett, on the other hand, is speaking in an apologizing tone. 'I will call you back if something happens.'

--

Paine seems like he doesn't believe it, while Magnus just keeps her cool, folding her arms once again.

'What does it mean?!'

'It means Magnus was right from the beginning. I never betrayed my friends, and you should understand that I wouldn't ever. I was more like an agent, even when I threatened them.'

'We trusted you!'

'Lots of people did! When I was little, I trusted my father to come and back me up whenever the other kids started mocking me. Did you? Where have you been at that time, Paine?' Shark actually scoffs at this point. 'Jail?'

No one says a thing for a moment. Then Shark speaks once again.

'Now I'm gonna call a friend, and the team, while we wait here peacefully. If you make a move, Magnus... It will be your last.'

He pushes the button on the little alphacom in his hand, and waits for the device to contact to Garrett.

Glancing at her father, Magnus steps forward. Noticing this immediately, Shark raises his gun a bit higher.

'I told you not to move.'

Magnus just scoffs. 'I'm not afraid of you. Nor your petty little guns.'

Shark regards his sister carefully, this much self-esteem just seems... weird. 'What are you gonna do about it?'

'Oh, I was just waiting for you to ask.'

At that time, someone answers from the other side.

'Shark?'

'Let me answer this call for you!'

She raises her hand. Distracted momentarily by Garrett, he tries to aim her...

--

BAMMM!!

Suddenly hearing this sound, Garrett goes wide eyed.

'S... Shark?...'

--

Paine looks genuinely shocked at the scene before him...

Shark tries to straighten himself from the place he fall, and winces. He puts a hand to his aching ribs, and looks at his guns, standing a few metres away from him. Then he looks up at Magnus...

Magnus, standing in a fighting position, looks down at him, the blue - green aura around her, and a creepy smirk on her face.

'What do you think of my new powers, bro?'

Despite the pain he feels, Shark smiles himself.

'And I thought you _couldn't_ get any creepier.'

Magnus grits her teeth angrily as Garrett once again speaks.

'What's going on there?? Shark!!'

'You can say this.'

In large steps, Paine comes over to Shark, takes his hand with which he is still holding the alphacom, and roughly drags him up. He smirks as he looks upon his son's face.

'To the team.'

With a more than enough force, he squeezes Shark's hand, and breaks the alphacom along with it. Shark screams in agony as a sound of breaking bones is heard...

--

Even in that last second, Garrett hears Shark's scream.

'Shark!! Darn it!'

He quickly dials the home number of the team. He doesn't wait for a reply as it is answered.

'Guys, I have good and bad news for you.'

'Okay, good one first?' Hawk's voice comes first.

'Well, I have located them.'

'And the bad new is...?' Axel timidly asks.

'Paine learned all about it! You have to help him now!'

--

Magnus tightens the ropes, which hang from the hooks on the wall, around Shark's arms. Shark hisses with pain as she intentionally pulls them tight around his injured arm. She looks up at him with a serene smile on her face.

'Ooh, does it hurt? Poor fishy?'

Shark just glares at her. She puts a hand to his cheek, still smiling.

'You don't know the meaning of being hurt yet.'

She brings her hand down, stratching his cheek along with it. As she walks away from him, it becomes clearer that they are in some kind of a prison. She picks up a short metal bar and and holds it up to her face.

'Let's see what we can do about it.'

She lets go of the bar and uses her powers to make it float in the air. Shark just closes his eyes and turns his head away, preparing himself for what is to come...

--

...

Magnus drops the bar and slumps to the floor, looking tired.

'Phew... I'm exhausted...'

On Shark. He looks really bad. There are bruises on his arms, and from the looks of it, all around his body. His nose is also bleeding. He looks out of breath.

'Enough with that, Samantha.'

Paine comes before the prison, and looks at Shark from up to down. Magnus turns her head to her father.

'C'mon dad, I'm okay, just a bit exhausted, but I've just started!'

'I said _enough_! We'll just have to wait a bit more.'

Magnus makes a face as she gets up and walks out of the prison. Paine checks a watch on his wrist, then smirks to himself, looking happy...

--

The team rode on a nearly empty road, trying to reach the place as soon as they could...

...

**--**

**Okay, a few more things.**

**(1) Lioness asked the guard to describe Shark and Magnus, because with the team not being able to catch them for three days, she wonders if there are any changes.**

**(2) The idea with Magnus just came by when I was randomly writing this. Thought it would be cool. :)**

**(3) Please don't forget to review :)  
**


	9. One for All

**Hi there!**

**Well, as the next part might take a bit longer to upload (because I have to make sure it is not too dramatic or anything), I wanted to do this one faster :) It's a bit shorter from the other chapters.I hope you'll like it.**

**Dory, I really didn't know how to respond to your review :) I can't say much a thing, as you'll read it in the chapter, but anyway...**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own A.T.O.M. Not yet xP**

**--  
**

The team are all on their rides, going on full speed to Paine's lair, exactly where Garrett had directed them.

Axel hisses through his communicator.

'He _BETTER_ be alright.'

'Yes, like... how the heck is he a better actor than me, anyway? It's like... uh...'

Everyone half turns to stare at Hawk, this being a bit too much. He, on the other hand, has his own worries, just trying not to show it.

'I think he'll be alright, though.' King says. 'Like... even Paine can't kill his own son, right?'

'Dunno, if he doesn't intend to set a...'

'Hawk, please!' Axel says in a fierce voice. 'You are _so_ not helping!'

Lioness's hands grip the handles more tightly, her face behind her helmet shows every kind of worry.

_-Flashback-_

_'Guys - I wasn't supposed to tell you that - but...'_

_'And why is that?'_

_'He never betrayed you.'_

_-Flashback-_

'He is... gonna be alright, isn't he?'

They all hear this, even when it is nothing more than a whisper. Axel could almost sense the tears behind the helmet. He sighs.

'He is. He better be. He better just... hold on till we get there.'

--

In the underground house.

Magnus slowly approaches the metal bars of the prison Shark is now in, playing with the bars with her index finger, using her magnetic powers to make an annoying, tingling sound.

'Look at you... Poor fishy.'

Shark turns his head, still facing the floor. An evil smirk crosses Magnus's face as she stops for a second, her finger still on the bars.

'And when your friends come...'

This is what makes Shark look up. He struggles with the ropes still around his arms, apparently to no avail.

'No! Don't touch them! Paine!'

Paine comes out of the shadows, tut tutting to himself.

'Now now, is this any way to talk to your father? Teenagers nowadays has no respect for their parents.'

'Yeah, if there will be _any_ time I respect you.'

Magnus walks to her father, one hand on her hip. 'Let me punish him for disrespect, daddy.'

'All in good time.'

He checks his watch and then looks at Shark, his smile turning into an evil smirk.

'His punishment is already on its way.'

--

The team stops their vehicles. Axel looks at his alphacom to Garrett.

'Garrett, is it here?'

'Right below you. Guys... be careful.'

'Yeah.'

He turns off the alphacom and looks at the team, then at the sewer entrance.

'Let's go and get Shark.'

--

A man of Paine enters through the doors.

'They are coming.'

Hearing this, Shark struggles a bit more, but he is already weak. Paine nods.

'Let them be our guests.'

--

They went through the sewer system, flashlights shining. King suddenly sees something.

'There! His signal is coming through this... Ew...'

They look through a mud - and some slimy stuff - covered bars. Lioness tooks aim.

'Get back.'

King and Hawk get back just in time for Lioness to shoot the bars apart. They go through...

--

No one. Not one person is left in the room. Shark looks around, as if to check out if he is really alone. He tries to tear the ropes around from their hooks, but this action only gives him more pain.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he hears hurried footsteps. His head shoots up as he sees the team rushing in through the back doors.

'Don't, that's a trap!'

'Too late!'

Paine comes out of his hiding place, and pushes a button on a remote control he is holding. The wall and the door with it bursts. There is no cave in, due to the strong building of the place. The team ducks out of the way, and when they get up...

'Shark!!' Lioness cries out.

Hawk frowns a bit. 'Is this him? He seems... different.'

'Hawk, King, deal with Magnus and the others. I will take Paine. Li...'

No need for other words. She is already running toward the prison, having waited for that. One of Paine's men gets in front of her, but she basicly high jumps over him, and lands on the other side, as King comes to fight him.

She reaches the prison a second face softens as she looks at her friend.

'Shark...'

He turns her head weakly at her, smiling a bit.

'Hey...'

Lioness looks at the bars for a second, searching for a weak spot. Then, in one powerful kick, she knocks the door down and hurries inside.

'What in the world... did you do to yourself?'

'Talking about the new look? I was just trying a new style, y'know...'

Lioness looks at him weirdly. Shark just smirks half heartedly and shrugs. Lioness gathers herself up and starts fiddling with the bonds.

'I think I told you not to come in.'

She looks up at him. 'I think we told you not to rush into anything.'

She has unbound his right arm. He brings it in front of his face, trying to relax the muscles, feel the sense coming back to his fingers. Lioness has started to unbound his left arm. He hisses in pain and flinches as she did so. Lioness looks at him worriedly, then looks at his arm. She gives a quick cry of anguish.

'Did he do this?'

Shark pulls out of the ropes, trying to seem careless.

'It's nothing. Really.'

'Yeah, nothing, right!'

She goes to his other side and puts her arm under his shoulder to support him.

'There is no need to...'

The girl looks at him sideways, anger and worry literally written on her face.

'We will talk about this more with the others later.'

--

Fighting with Hawk, Magnus looks up and sees Shark and Lioness nearly coming out of the prison, him supported by her. A look of anger stretches over her face.

'Oh no, you don't!'

She raises her hand, and some junk come over from nowhere and knocks Hawk down. She holds her hand up again...

--

Shark suddenly hears a grinding sound behind them and turns back, and his mouth drops...

The metal bars had risen from their posts. The prison is shrinking in on them, with a horrible dragging sound.

'Go, go!'

He and Lioness sprint towards the door with all their might. At the very last moment, they manage to get out.

Lioness gets up on her hands, looking at the wreckage of metal.

'Whew... We did it...'

Shark gets up to his feet, and helps her up, too. He grins at her in a kind of an embarrassed way.

'Yeah, this was not exactly the plan I made to greet you, but...'

She is watching him intently, apparently trying to control her emotions. But she couldn't. She comes slowly closer to him, forgetting momentarily their situation. Shark looks very surprised as she did so. But she had understood at last. It wasn't coincidence, or just disappointment that she felt so sad, so empty for the last few days. She had understood at last that she actually feels something towards him, too, just as she had suspected when he told her. She stops right in front of him, and they look at each other for a long moment, she, certain of her feelings, and him, just confused. The time itself feels like it is stopped, the fight means nothing to them just for that seconds. Then, taking the first step again, Lioness closes that little distance between them, and lets her go in his arms, trying very carefully not to hurt him. Shark doesn't seem to know what to do for a second, but then he just lets go, and hugs her tightly with his good arm. She cuddles a bit more to his chest, smiling to herself slightly, hapy at last after the nightmare she has been in...

--

Just at that moment.

Axel turns at that same moment to see if his friends are alright, and is stunned, frozen to the ground...

Seeing this lack of concentration, Paine suddenly comes from in front of him and grabs him by the head.

Hearing Axel's scream of agony, Lioness and Shark quickly break apart. She holds her breath.

'No...'

Paine smirks and turns around so everyone can see his face.

'I think the fight is... officially over, heroes.'

They just glare at him, not knowing what to do. Shark grits his teeth.

'Let him go, Paine!'

'One might think this is enough punishment for you. Fortunately, I don't think so!'

'Let him go!!'

Paine's smirk grows more evil as he intensifies his touch, and Axel is nearly unconscious with pain. Shark sighs, drops his shoulders.

'Let him go - please, father.'

'Now, that is the attitude.'

He drops Axel to the ground. The team all sigh with relief. But this is just for a moment. Paine towers over Axel again, who looks only too weakly up at him, his vision blurry.

'Y'know, I can kill you here and now, easily.'

He draws his gun and puts it to Axel's head, under the terrified look of the others. King, Hawk, Shark and Lioness all start running towards them.

'But... I have a better idea.'

He turns in a quick move and points the gun toward Lioness, who stops dead in her tracks, her eyes widened...

BUMM!!

And everything... gets buried under a heavy silence.


	10. and All for One

**Ta-taaa :D**

**Just trying to ease down the environment :) It is gonna be quite a long (I'm truly sorry about that) and rough thing I can definitely say about it is - please don't expect too much of it. It is really dramatic and stuff. Not that you wouldn't expect it after what happened in 'One for All', but...**

**Yeah, three musceteers motto :) I think it suits the chapters pretty well. One thing I really like about them. Oh well.**

**My dear Dory :) First, thank you for your awesome comment! :D And as for a reply... Y'know, I marveled the fact that your mind worked almost always in accordance with mine during the past few chapters... but not on this one. I'm sorry, but I really couldn't have done that to my favorite character (Shark, of course). Seeing that the person he loves getting in critical condition for what he had done... this is just a bit too cruel, don't you think? :)**

**By the end of this chapter, you will probably question my definition of a favorite character :D**

**Anyway, now on with the loooong loooooooong chapter :) I tried to shorten it a bit, I even tried to seperate it into two parts, but it didn't work as I wanted, so I'm sorry :S Ask me anything if you want any clarifications with any technical stuff or something, I will answer them gladly.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A.T.O.M. or any of its original characters.**

**--  
**

Lioness tries to straighten herself from the place she had fallen. At first, she couldn't. There is some kind of blur in front of her eyes. Tears?...

It is quiet. Annoyingly quiet. It feels like time itself has stopped.

She can't feel herself breathing. It is like the world has stopped for her. She can only think of one thing, one person, and she tries to cling to it. With a cracked voice, she whispers.

'Shark...'

No response. Without seeing eyes, she tries to find her way up with her hands, her eyes still blurry. She turns...

_-Flashback-_

_Her mind had stopped working as she looks at the gun, counting nanoseconds before it fires..._

_Then, out of nowhere, strong arms grab and push her, not too gently, to the ground._

_As she falls, she realizes one thing bitterly. Only one person was close enough to her to do this..._

_Tears fill into her eyes..._

_BUMM!!!_

_-Flashback-_

Shark has stumbled a few steps back, holding his chest. Blood flows through his fingers as he stands there, panting, his head down, his hair hiding his face. Lioness just stares at him, unbelievable, as does everyone else.

'No...'

She watches in disbelief as Shark's face muscles loosen and his expression turns into one that of relief, and giving up. He gives a silent sigh and begins to fall forward. She almost tumbles down on her own legs as she gets up, terrified, and rushes forward to him. Just before he could hit the floor, she was able to hold him in her arms, supporting, and gently lowering him to the ground, as she herself kneels down and puts his head to her lap, tears streaming as a thin line to her cheek.

'Shark...'

She rubs her cheek slowly across his, just so that she wouldn't look at him, because she knows that she won't be able to control herself if she does so. She hears movement across the room, and looks up to see Hawk and King running towards them, already half across the way. She thinks quickly.

'No! Stay there - fight them off!'

They look at each other, realizing suddenly that they had momentarily forgotten what they are supposed to do. Then, agreeing in silence, they return back to fight Magnus and Paine's other men.

Seeing that, Lioness turns her full attention back to Shark, lying in her arms, his breath shallow. She tries to blink back tears, her mind wandering on many different things. She pulls his t-shirt up to see the wound. It seems pretty deep. She feels her pulse quickening and she quickly tears the sleeves of her suit, bundles them up and presses it on the wound, in a hope to stop the bleeding. No reaction from Shark. She passes her hand on her mouth, unable to hold her tears back.

--

Axel is dumbfounded. He couldn't believe it. There has got to be a mistake, not after what they've been through, not now. He turns to face Paine, who also, for some reason, seems stunned.

'How... Why?... How could you do this?...'

Paine doesn't turn to him, he is just staring to his son, as if transfixed. Axel wonders if those are traces of tears he saw in his eyes. That stirs his blood even more.

'You knew it! You knew Shark cared for her more than anything! You knew that was the main reason he did this whole thing!'

Axel now has tears in his eyes himself, he just isn't able to take it now, not like this. Paine mumbles so quietly he almost doesn't hear him.

'Shut up, Manning...'

'I won't! You thought it would be good 'punishment' for him - and me - to kill her! You didn't even care to look who you were aiming! Who is punished now, Paine?'

Paine turns to him sharply, and there are certainly, weirdly, tears in his eyes now.

'I said shut up!'

He flings at Axel, who lies with his back parallel to the ground, the light of jo-lan filling his tear striked eyes.

--

Magnus regards the scene with almost amazement, as if she is watching something both very interesting and curious. Unlike her father, she seems to be enjoying it.

'Well, what can I say? He got what he deserved in the end, after all. Maybe even less than that.'

'You shut up.'

She looks at King with his words, raising an eyebrow. She couldn't have cared less. Hawk and King, on their account, are trembling with furiosity.

'You are not getting away with that.' Hawk hisses at her, his voice filled with venom.

'Oh, but I always do.' She is now actually smiling with glee. 'But don't worry. You can escort your friend to hell.'

Yelling out angrily, the duo both charge at her.

--

Lioness looks around helplessly, still unable to stop the bleeding. She is drained off of her energy, unable to keep track on what's going on anymore.

She looks back at Shark, who is growing more and more pale, and fresh tears well up in her eyes. Why?... Why did this had to happen _now_? For one moment, one blissful moment, she thought everything was alright, and would go this way, she was so happy in his arms... And now he lies there, not moving, barely breathing... She doesn't know just how long it will take them to rush him to a hospital, and she doesn't want to...

She sobs as she thinks about that possibility. Her voice comes out hoarse as she whispers softly.

'Please... Stay here... Stay with us... With me...'

With one hand, she holds Shark's hand and squeezes slightly. For her astonishment, she receives a very faint grip back. This brings a watery smile of relief to her face, as hope begins to be rebuilt in her.

--

Magnus looks in amazement at King and Hawk, who seems to fight more ferociously - and better - now. Nothing seems to work. They dodge every single attack she attempts to launch on them, and keep gaining on her, defeating all of Paine's weaker men along the way.

'Wow, who would've guessed? You guys are actually better if one of you gets hurt.'

She smirks as she mutters to herself slowly. 'Let's push the button a bit more.'

She suddenly thrusts her arm to the air. Instinctively, King gets in a protective position, and Hawk looks around frantically to see where the attack will be coming from. What he sees makes him grip King's arm painfully.

'King!'

King turns around and his jaw drops...

Magnus had used her powers to raise the wreckage of the metals of the prison above Lioness and Shark. Lioness is looking around helplessly, panicked in her situation.

'She can't run away!'

Hawk pushes him forward hardly.

'Go - I'll hold her off!'

'B... Okay, be careful!'

--

The shards of metal glitter dangerously above. Lioness once more looks around desperately, as if to find some place safe, but there is no way she could move him now.

Without a warning, the shards begin their fall. In a last attempt to protect Shark, she leans over him...

But the attack never comes. Instead, she hears a weird sound, as if metal hitting on metal.

This is what dares her to look up. She sees King over them, looking out of breath, the metal everywhere around them. Then she looks around to see Hawk, trying to hold Magnus off.

King looks down at her.

'You okay?'

Lioness gulps, words not forming. King glances at Shark, and his gaze softens.

'He's gonna be alright. Don't worry.'

She nods, still lost for words. Then the words come to her mouth before she realizes she is thinking about this.

'What are we gonna do about Magnus? She is insanely strong...'

King grits his teeth.

'Dunno. We are evading her attacks, but beating her down...'

'I think I have an idea.'

Both King and Lioness turns to Shark, surprised. Lioness beams slowly through her tears.

'Shark?...'

Shark smiles weakly up at her, trying to reach for her hand. She holds it tightly.

'Hey...' he whispers.

King seems to have gone a bit teary, too. Shark turns his head towards him, amused.

'Bro...'

King quickly turns his back to the two, wiping his eyes discreetly.

'We'll see about that '_bro_' thing when we're safely out of here.'

Shark smirks a bit as Lioness half shrugs at him. King sounds worried as he watches Hawk trying all his best to keep Magnus at bay.

'So... how do you think we can beat her?'

'My guns...'

They look surprised.

'You have 'guns'?' Lioness asks.

'Well, I didn't exactly shoot '_stones_' at the businessmen, y'know.'

King grits his teeth, his worry making him a bit short-tempered. 'And how exactly do you think metal would work against her?'

'Maybe because they aren't. They are made of gold.'

King and Lioness look at each other briefly, this would obviously help.

'Where are they?' King asks.

'I'm not sure... I think Paine or Magnus took them while I was unconscious.'

None of them say a thing for a moment. Then King speaks.

'We'll have to search everywhere. Li, can you...'

Lioness looks at him with a determined expression. '_I can't leave him alone._' King had understood, and he nods curtly.

'That's okay.'

He runs away, and the two are left alone. Shark squeezes her hand slowly to make her look at him.

'Hmm?...'

'You should go with him.'

Lioness blinks in confusion.

'It's... I want to stay with you, what if she tries to hold another attack while we are all away?'

'She won't bother with me when she has the chance to attack you. Li, you know Hawk, he can't hold up for too long.'

Lioness bits her lower lip, clearly torn in between. At this, Shark jerks his hand away from her.

'Just go!'

Lioness looks a bit bewildered by this, but she doesn't need to be told twice this time. With a final glance backwards, she runs forward to help King.

--

Axel lands a kick on Paine, who takes a longer time to get up now.

'Falling out of form, I see.'

Paine puts a hand to his side, his face contorted with many feelings in his head. One of his men come up to him.

'Sir...'

With a barely audible voice, Paine mutters.

'Help Samantha.'

The man looks uncertainly at Axel, who is preparing for another attack.

'But...'

'Do as I say!'

He scarpers away. Axel smirks, this time a bit frighteningly.

'Clever of you to understand no one is going to help you right now, Paine.'

Paine looks up at Axel.

'What else do you want from me, Manning? I told you I had nothing to do with the death of your dear father! Why can't you just leave us alone? You and your chronies are no police. Why?'

Axel stops dead in his tracks after hearing this. '_Why?_' he asks himself this time. '_Why - really - am I doing this? I could've started the search on the real culprit. Why am I going on Paine so badly?_'

But the answer comes almost in an instant. And he feels elated - strangely happy - with that answer. He smiles through everything that has happened that day.

'Because it's not just about me, my father or you.'

Paine looks back up at him, mildly surprised to hear him speaking after a long moment of silence. Axel's voice raises a bit higher as he speaks on.

'It's about all the innocent people you've hurt so far. It's about this city.'

Paine looks awed as he begins to see Axel in a new light. This is, however, nothing new to Axel. On the contrary, he has returned to his self.

'I am no police. Neither am I a hero. I'm just doing the thing I believe is true.'

He looks back at Shark, and sees that he is all alone, and worry begins to bite down in his head. 'What if something happens now?' He realizes that to guarantee Shark's safety, he has to take down Paine first - and very quickly. His voice breaks as he speaks once again.

'He was doing that, too. And now... Not for my father...'

Axel looks at him with great fury, his eyes ignite with a fire. 'I'm never gonna forgive you for what you did to one of my best friends.'

Paine doesn't seem too happy, either.

'Do you think I like this? Do you think I'm happy to shoot my own son? Do you think I called upon this?'

'I told you. You knew. It is your fault!'

Propelled with this, Axel flungs forward. Paine seems to have nowhere to escape...

--

King looks surprised as Lioness comes rushing towards him.

'I thought you weren't coming.'

'I was persuaded.'

King smiles slightly as he hears this.

'Let's finish this up, we can turn back to him quickly.'

Lioness nods curtly and, without another word, she hurries away again. King sighs and runs to the opposite direction...

--

Paine flies into a wall, the force that was sent upon him just too big to counter. He coughs on his arm as he tries to straighten himself from the place he fell. He looks up at Axel...

Axel advances on him threateningly, his rage all around him, like a very strong aura, his eyes ablaze.

'Get up and fight, Paine. I'm in a hurry.'

He stops a few steps before him.

'I have no intention to make any delays.'

--

After a few moments' search, Lioness finally finds something. Something guarded heavily by armed men.

'King!'

Hearing her, King begins running towards her. Unfortunately, the men are aroused by her yell, too. Before King can reach there, she tries to keep them on bay as best as she can.

'You - are - not - coming - between - me - and - him!'

The men begin to back away as Lioness advances on, too furious to see anything right now. She sees the gap - and King coming...

'King - _now_!'

King sees it at the last second, too - and Lioness retreats to the side, he comes running towards her and the men - and right at the case.

It's too late for the men to step in - King breaks the case with one single blow, the glass flying to all directions. Lioness smiles as every head turn towards it. But Paine's men weren't defeated yet, and they run towards King. He is thrown off guard for a moment, and is still too far away to Hawk. In a last desperate attempt, he pulls one of the guns and...

'Li, hands up!'

Lioness only then realizes the gun flying towards her, and catches it before anyone else can. Now the men had turned on her. Looking quickly around, she realizes their one and only chance is to stop this - from the roots.

'Hawk - catch!!!'

Hearing this, Hawk thrusts his arm to the air and catches the gun flying to him just in time. Without hesitation, he puts it to Magnus's head. She frowns and tries to use her power so that the gun will turn towards Hawk and hit him.

Nothing happens. Hawk raises his eyebrows.

'Game over.'

Lioness, noticing that things seem to be pretty okay, begins to run towards Shark, relieved that this went out quickly.

Magnus seems surprisingly easy going with this. She sighs and closes her eyes. 'Little bro knows just so well how to play the game.'

She opens her eyes again, and looks at him with a mischievous smile.

'But you all just forget one thing.'

Suddenly getting very close to him, she brings her hand to his face, caressing. Hawk looks dumbfounded.

'What the...'

'Sshhh...'

She kisses Hawk's lower lip tenderly and murmurs.

'I don't need any power at all.'

'Bu...'

She continues kissing him. 'Ssh...'

She breaks up and looks at him.

'I know you want this too.'

Hawk's response to her is totally reflectional - he is used to behave like this to all the girls he met, anyway. It is like Magnus makes no difference - like she is any of the other girls.

They begin to kiss each other more passionately, apparently forgetting their current situation. At least Hawk seems to. Magnus slowly brings her hand around the gun...

This is what snaps Hawk into reality. Suddenly fully realizing what he's about to give up, he wakes up from his momentary dream, and pushes her, not too gently, away from himself.

'What the hell are you doing???'

Magnus is actually smirking mischievously.

'You weren't saying that a minute ago when...'

Hawk points the gun towards her once more, his hand now shaking with fury.

'Shut up!!! That's it! Move again and I'll shoot you! I'm serious!'

Magnus glances at Hawk's half demented form and raises an eyebrow. 'As if you have the guts.'

She takes one step forward. Hawk doesn't think for a moment - he shoots, not at the girl, but at a pipeline hanging right above her head. Suddenly, some weird gas fills into the space, making Magnus caugh and close her eyes. Taking this momentary advantage, King sneaks up from behind her and puts his tagblaster to her back.

'This is the last stop for you.'

She feels the cold touch of handcuffs on her wrists and her eyes widen. She tries once again to pry them open. But nothing really happens this time. She doesn't even feel a prickle of metal. Seeing this, King smirks threateningly.

'A hundred percent gold. Courtesy from Garrett.'

Hawk comes closer to them, still shaking with fury. King looks at him, half exasperated, half amused.

'Good show out there.'

'Tell me why the hell I don't kill her now.' Hawk says in a trembling voice.

Seeing that he really raises the gun again, King holds his wrist. 'No. We are not like them. We don't just kill people just because we don't like them. Even with what they have done.'

Hawk looks up at him, not sure whether to say anything. Then he looks at Magnus, who is still trying her way with the handcuffs, as if she didn't believe a word King said.

'Okay. This is good enough for me.'

King smiles and lets go of his wrist.

--

Axel looks relieved as he sees his friends had overcome the greatest difficulty. Only Paine is left now... And he is no big deal.

'No!!!'

When he hears Paine's yell, he feels, more than sees, that Paine is up for one final move. He wouldn't let it. He couldn't let it. Not now.

Paine, in one final attempt, raises his gun and points it to where Hawk and King are standing, side by side. His finger is an inch away from the trigger when he sees Axel turning to him...

As Axel turns, his eyes burn with and emits out a fiery red light - the newly gained power of jo-lan Axel was restrained from use for some time. He seems very frightening as he stands threateningly, gritting his teeth...

'Jo-lan!!!'

The force was enough not to just make Paine fly a few meters, crashing into the wall and falling to the ground, unconscious, but to make the air actually ripple with energy.

Axel rushes to Paine and put the handcuffs on his wrists. He half glances behind him, sees Paine's other men surrendering, and Lioness beside Shark. Then he lets out a sigh of relief. It is over. Finally. And hopefully, they wouldn't be too late.

--

Lioness kneels beside Shark happily. Nothing could possibly go wrong now. Not now. She puts a hand to his cheek and beams at him.

'Hey... It's over. We got all of them.'

In her heart, she is half hoping that Shark will talk back to her. But nothing happens. Only then Lioness notices something is going wrong. Terribly.

'Shark?...'

This is barely louder than a whisper, but is still enough to get the attention of the people in the room. All the heads turn towards them as the smile fades slowly off from her face, replaced by a look of mingled worry and despair. Axel and Hawk stays with Paine and Magnus as King slowly makes his way to the duo, then hastening his pace, and finally breaking into a run. By that time Lioness, feeling quite numb, checks for a pulse.

'No!!!'

With this cry, Paine tries to struggle himself to his feet, but Axel holds his hand out to stop him, him also watching the scene in disbelief.

Lioness begins to do heart massage and CPR to Shark, but she is quite distracted by her feelings and tears.

'Shark... Don't do this to me, please... Please, you can't just give up like that... Come on... Please... Don't leave me, I love you!!'

She begins sobbing, holding her hand to her mouth. King had reached them by that time. He kneels down to help Lioness, who is so weakened that she gratefully accepts that. King has tears on his face, too, first time they had seen him doing that, as he pushes on Shark's chest.

'C'mon bro... C'mon... You can do it...'

The surfer's head just lolls down to a side like a lifeless doll...

--

The shock of the moment breaks down as police and ambulance sirens begin to be heard from outside. Hearing that, Axel quickly gets up and rushes to the exit.

'Here! We are down here! Hurry!'

Hasty footsteps are heard from above.

--

A moment later, Mr. Victor, some of his men and some doctors with a stretcher rush in. As the doctors rush to Shark, a crying Lioness and a very distraught King, Mr. Victor stands in the doorway with his mouth open.

First, he glimpses on Paine, Magnus and the other men. Then he sees Lioness, King and Hawk, all of whom now grouped around the stretcher on which Shark lies. This strucks quite odd to him. Lastly, he sees Axel coming towards him, looking quite teary himself, and obviously not being able to stand behind.

'Manning...'

Axel looks up at him with some kind of fury in his eyes. He can't figure out why he is angry, either.

'Can we talk outside, Mr. Victor?'

The old man nods quizzically and he follows the younger one to the exit...

--

Outside.

Axel stops after a few steps, rounding on Mr. Victor. There is something restrained in his voice as he marks the finality, rather to himself than Mr. Victor.

'We have caught Paine and Magnus.'

The old man stands staring at him, not knowing why the younger should choose to state the obvious.

'Yeah, I believe I can see that my...'

Axel looks up at him, his eyes flashing with dire accusation. 'Not with your help.'

Victor doesn't know what to say for a moment. After a pause, Axel continues.

'I thought everything was secured in Magnus's transference.'

'It was...'

'Then explain to me,' Axel hisses in a low voice. 'how she had escaped.'

Mr. Victor is left speechless, words to defend himself not forming.

'Let me tell you. The handcuffs weren't as pure as you made us think. And the bars certainly weren't. In other words... If you had warned us about these and we had followed after the van, these things would never have happened, and...'

He stops right there, not able to continue. Victor looks a bit embarrassed, he still doesn't have the knack of of everything, but he has started to realize his mistake.

'Manning, I'm...'

Axel shrugs off his apology, his eyes on the ground.

'Just know this. If Shark...'

He gulps down the end of his sentence, and changes it.

'If anything happens to him... You'll get what you always wanted. We'll quit.'

He knew his friends would agree with them on that matter, there is no need to ask. He expected Mr. Victor to be quite relieved with this, but the old man just looks shocked and - reluctant? This is news for him.

At that time, he sees the doctors and his friends coming out. He turns towards them, ready to rush there.

'Have a nice evening.'

He starts off towards the ambulance.

--

In front of the ambulance.

The team are waiting anxiously, waiting for some news about their friend as the doctors apply first aid to Shark in the ambulance.

Then it comes.

First, the wailing of the sirens stop. Lioness, standing a distance away from the ambulance , quickly looks up at the sudden silence...

She notices the doctor coming out of the doors, looking solemn and at loss of words...

The doctor says something to the team. Lioness couldn't hear it from that distance.

But she doesn't need to. Their expressions; shock mingled with agony and sorrow; and their reactions speak for themselves.

Axel closes his eyes, tears forming behind his eyelids, and leans against the ambulance doors. In his agony and furiosity to just about everything at that moment, King kicks a trash bin nearby, then tumbles away from the group, seeming unable to bear the scene... Hawk seems like he doesn't believe it, staring into the ambulance as if his friend would spring back to life anytime now under his gaze...

Lioness...

She feels, unconsciously, fresh tears pouring down to her cheeks as she stands there, still trying to grasp the reality in front of her, that she knows very well, but has a very hard time to accept...

Her knees give way and she sinks to the floor, tears still sliding down on her face unconsciously...

She looks at her hands.

Red. Why are they so red?...

She begins to sob hard as she looks down on Shark's blood on her hands...

We see her hands shake. Very badly. Tears drip down on them, making tracks as they glide down...

Lioness hugs herself tightly as a thundering rain begins, racing away with her tears. She sobs uncontrollably, crying her heart out as the weight of the loss now heavily dawns on her...

And the rain... It doesn't stop...

**--**

**Okay, again, sorry for the total crappiness :/ Please don't forget to review.**

**Love y'all.  
**


	11. Author's Note

_**I'm taking everything on hiatus. Literally everything. I don't think I'll be able to write anything for a while. I don't know how long this 'a while' will last. This decision has nothing to do with any of the members on ff. net . You are all great readers and writers. It's a personal thing and I'm so shocked right now, I can't even move my fingers around the keyboard. I don't feel anything right now, so I can write.**_

_**I'm sorry.**_

_**I put this AN because I don't suppose people visit writers' profile too often. I hope ff. net won't mind.**_

_**Love y'all,**_  
_**Tari.**_


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